


take a bite of my heart tonight.

by youtrashqueen



Series: take a bite of my heart tonight. [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Underfell, Anti-monster stuff, But not all the time, Dark Humor, Dream Sex, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Foreshadowing, From hate to love, Fucked Up Shit, Obsessive Behavior, One-Sided Attraction, Possessive Behavior, Racism, Reader Is Badass, Reader curses a lot, Sans is salty, Sexual Fantasy, Slow-ish burn, Smut, Strong Female Characters, Violence, alphys is like a mad scientist, and so does sans, but not yet, cursing, did I mention the world went to shit?, feels and all, fluff maybe, for now, gdi what's with these tags, gonna pick up after the first chapter, he just plays dumb, i think reader broke sans, lotsa manipulation, more will be revealed with time, papyrus is pretty darn scary tho, reader beats up sans, reader is female, reader manipulates, reader will have a specific look, sans is smarter than he lets on, sans smokes, smut in chapter 23, toriel is kinda sorta cray cray, we'll see, will have a name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-10-11 18:28:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 29
Words: 113,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10471290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youtrashqueen/pseuds/youtrashqueen
Summary: when the world went up in flames as monsters crawled out of the underground, humanity turned to its best chance at survival : hunters; an organization specializing with dusting the things that go bump in the dark. you're one of those hunters, tasked with a mission that went ass up faster than you could even blink, all because you were arrogant and impatient. now you're stuck with the consequences and you'll be damned if you go down without a fight.it's...better than it sounds. and it will pick up after the first chapter, which is a bit of a bumpy ride.





	1. what are you fighting for?

  


“One, get my position.” your heart was beating like a war drum in your chest, calves aching as you took another turn. The simple and clear fact was that you never fucked up, but by some ridiculous play of events, you were now exposed to the world, with only a scrap of clothing that you ripped and tied around your nose and mouth, to protect you.

They couldn’t know your identity. They weren’t supposed to know who you were because then it would make it easy to pick you from the crowd and that’s not how the Anti-Monster organization operated. Leaping over a car and then tumbling on the ground until your feet touched the pavement properly, you took a sudden detour through narrow alleys. “One, can you copy!?” you frantically tapped the earpiece, teeth clenching and lungs taking in air hungrily.

This wasn’t supposed to be your end.

You were so good at at what you did, you had trained for this since you were a kid --this couldn’t be the end! Two more hunting knives left. Absentmindedly, your fingers brushed over the handle of the one strapped to your thigh, the last one on that side. Truthfully, you didn’t know anything else other than fighting ever since those foul creatures came up on the surface. You were fourteen then, now you’re twenty-three. Mankind didn’t expect them, so when they crawled out and started killing and taking what they wanted, it came as no surprise that many succumbed and the other were caught with the proverbial pants around their ankles. However, humans were fast to get on their feet and bite back, they adapted and halted the monster’s advancement.

It helped that they were fewer, but it didn’t help that they had magic...while humans...well, humans’ magic faded eons ago. Nevertheless, the governments swept in and funded a program, one that was called ARES at the very beginning, at the request of the descendants of the mages from long ago; those that helped imprison the monsters under the mountain. They shared all their family’s secrets, offering knowledge about SOULS and what these monsters were and how they could be killed, experience and training. As a result, many children were enrolled voluntarily into the program and trained to handle the threat, trained to become hunters and take the frontline in fighting the horrendous bastards.

When the hunters finally hit, the monsters didn’t see it coming. It was a victory. At least a hundred monsters were dusted in one hour when these children were unleashed upon one of the cities they occupied. This resulted in the critters backing away for a while and humankind celebrated. The Anti-Monster organization took root then, controlled by those same descendants of the mages and some other influential people that called the shots alongside them. In exchange, the program became well-funded, with sophisticated equipment and weapons that one could only dream of, while those kids became heroes in the eyes of many.

One of those descendants was your father. It’s why you got the training even before the monsters came up on the surface, before the barrier was broken, because your father expected this turn of events and his father before him. Every generation in your family was fully aware of their existence and ready in case the barrier ever came down. Now it was up to you and you became arrogant and careless on this one mission.

It was an easy task. But you ran out of patience before it could reach its culmination. Human trafficking was one of the things the monsters were known for and you had to go in undercover, mark the targets, see how many humans were captured and report every few days. This took time and you became restless; who wouldn’t when you had to work for one of those slimy pieces of trash and pretend you enjoyed it when you could break their neck in ten different ways? Regardless, when you believed you had all that you needed, before you sent your report, you decided to be a hero. After all, you weren’t called ‘ _two_ ’ for nothing, you could dust them all, free the humans and then lead them to safety.

The alluring thought of being praised by your father, becoming _One_ , it was all so mind-clouding. Of course it went to shit.

_It had to be one of those days._

One of the days in which that pile of shit and bones came to inspect the boss’ merchandise for him. Caught you in the act of breaking locks and helping some woman out of her cage. Granted, you were in your hunter’s attire, one that hid your gender under a black suit with plates around the most vulnerable of places, from your shoulders to your knuckles, chest, knees, shins and calves. Then there was your mask. The hunters’ masks were oval and stark white, with just a stripe of glass over the eyes for a visor, where you could see the enemy and gather certain statistics and information on them, made specifically for hunting. Otherwise, it hid anything else from sight, such as hair, and distorted your voice. Identifying a hunter was impossible in such circumstances.

Naturally, the moment you saw him, you sprung into action, ordering the free humans to help the others and run to a safe point, while you took care of this bag of dicks. He had no time to say anything, because you lunged at him, knives thrown and fists following suit when the blades tore through his clothes.

You just had to underestimate your opponent. Went easy on him while he dodged all of your attacks with such ease it was unsettling. That should have been the first red flag, but you were just too confident to see it. Because suddenly your mask was torn off by a sharp ass bone that cut it clean in two. Your hair spilled out and your eyes widened, mouth opening in shock at the skeleton now grinning at your exposed face, gold tooth and red eye glowing in his socket.

“heya sweetheart.”

You needed to get those innocent humans out. Make sure they had a chance at least and then call for backup. That plan seemed well-grounded, so you acted fast and turned to run. “Catch me if you can, you piece of shit!” and you hoped that he was easily provoked, because this was the only idea you had.

It worked like magic. He was on your tail. You could feel him, your skin was tingling and your heart was slamming painfully against your ribcage. This was your instincts telling you that danger was near and to gtfo. Thankfully, you managed to cut off a strip of your top to tie over your mouth while you ducked around and sprinted, in a poor attempt at hiding at least some of your features.

You skidded to a stop in a dark and narrow alley, back stuck to the brickwall behind you and body trembling with adrenaline. It wasn’t as if you weren’t prepared to deal with this. It was the fact that One was not answering your desperate pleas. Panicked thoughts ran through your mind, questioning if you were going to be abandoned, because you were one of the many other hunters out there and it wasn’t unheard of for some to be left behind if they were too injured or became a liability.

But you were not just any hunter.

You were his daughter, for fuck’s sake! _No no no_ , you would not be left behind. Your father wouldn’t allow it, he would send a squad after you on monster territory. “ya look pretty tense there, doll.” _shit shit shit shit shit_ \--your breath hitched and you slowly angled your head up, eyes staring up at that shit-faced skeleton on a fire escape rail, casually looking down at you and holding a cigarette between his sharp teeth, thick smoke coming out of his nose cavity before he plucked the stick and held it under his, well, what would be his thumb and index finger, flicking the butt in the opposite direction from you.

“don’t worry lil’ _birdie_ , i ain’t gonna hurt’cha.” he grinned in such a sinister way that it made your skin crawl “i’m just gonna clip off those _wings_ of yours.”

You reached for the knife on your left thigh, eyes fixed on his face and legs tense, ready to move again. “don’t get _flighty_. didn’t mean to _ruffle yer feathers_.” what the ever living fuck? Was he seriously making puns? The disbelief was probably clear on your face, because it had him chuckle darkly, a sound deep and absolutely creepy. Switching back to tactic with disgust contorting your face, the visor of your mask would have been able to help you determine the level of HP he had, but without it, you were blind, thus at a disadvantage. You had to think fast. A -A distraction!

Swallowing thickly, you grabbed the knife from your thigh and with almost inhuman precision, threw it in his direction. It grazed his jacket’s shoulder, ripping the material with ease, before it stuck in the wall behind him. The strength with which it was thrown momentarily took him by surprise and that was exactly the idea.

The moment he turned to look back, you were long gone.

_“fuckin’ bitch.”_

* * *

 

After ten minutes of taking turns and getting lost through the maze-like streets of Ebott City, all while doing your best to avoid any monsters, you finally ended up in a relatively safe urban zone, the part where there were mostly abandoned apartment buildings and slum warehouses, positive that you lost the creature.

When the monsters took over, they literally took over and in panic many humans fled, leaving their houses and their jobs behind. Ebott City became the monster’s city, their territory, population a mix of some humans that were left behind, captured or trafficked, and monsters. Panting, you looked around at your surroundings, spotting what looked like a garage door that was slightly slid up...and dented, as if something slammed into it. It probably led to some subterranean parking spot, if the building was anything to go by. Probably a private residential block. Nonetheless, it looked barren.

Taking one last glance back as if to make sure you were not followed, you quickly made your way towards your possibly only safe haven for now. First, you grabbed the army knife that was sheathed in your combat boot and then you laid on the pavement, rolling underneath the narrow opening of the door and -- _oh_ , it was actually a parking lot. As soon as you were on your feet, you took weary steps, knife held tight in your grasp and blade facing outwards. There were two or three cars left, which meant that these belonged to humans that probably didn’t make it out on time.

Suddenly, there were footsteps. You froze in your spot, keeping a steady heartbeat. “Come out. I’m armed and won’t hesitate to shoot you down.” _and they better not be a monster_ , you added bitterly in your mind as you stepped onward. The footfalls were light and they belonged to only one person, if you went over it logically, so that meant you had a chance against whatever was hiding among the shadows. The only light available came from the small windows located on ground level with the building, which made their position in the subterranean parking lot to be up high. It gave some perspective, but it was still too dark.

“I won’t repeat again. Come out or I will fucking kill you!” this time, you used a more authoritative tone, letting whoever it was, know that you weren’t dicking around. A soft sniffle caught in the speckles of dust that floated in the light and then a small body emerging into that particular spot to your right, had you lower your weapon just slightly. It was a little human girl. Maybe 7 or 8 judging by her height. She was clutching an elephant toy in her arms and her appearance was disheveled and dirty. Just how long has she been here?

Incredulously, you took a few steps towards her, but her sudden whimper halted your movement. “Hey...hey, it’s okay...I’m not gonna hurt you, alright?” you slowly sheathed the knife on the strap of your left thigh and raised both arms to show her that you meant no harm. It must have been such a relief, because as soon as you pulled down the strap of clothing from your face, the girl just flung herself at you, sobbing incoherently and hugging your legs as if you were heavensent. This shook you to the core and before you knew it, you had the girl in your arms and you were sitting on the cold pavement, just cradling and shushing her.

* * *

 

Maybe ten minutes later, the crying ceased and the girl quieted, much to your relief. Who knew what critters lurked outside.

As you stroked her small back in a comforting manner, you decided to investigate. “What’s your name?” your voice gentle and seemingly caring, warm, practiced after many missions in which you either saved tormented humans or had to deal with agitated rookie hunters.

“A-Ally…” she sniffled, burying her face into the cold plate of your chest. “W-what’s yours?”

 _Well shit_. Should you? Could you?

Probably not… “Two.” the child raised her face to look you in the eye “...t-two?” she seemed to think about it for a second before raising two fingers “a-as in...two?” --you just nodded, a faint smile on your lips. Okay, introductions done. Now you needed to dig deeper.

“Ally, why are you here?” Through teary eyes and barely suppressed wails, she started telling you her story.

Apparently her mother hid her in the car two weeks ago when they were going to escape Ebott. Her dad was killed a few months ago, not that the girl knew, she just said ‘he was taken’ and monsters didn’t just ‘take’. He probably fought hard to protect his family. Regardless, her and her mom had been on their own for a while, sneaking around and staying hidden until the appropriate moment. They were found...or rather, her mom was, just as she was loading the car she managed to break into for their great escape. Before she was captured, she hid Ally in the car with all the supplies they gathered and ran to distract the troglodytes from this place. 

“B-but you’re gonna p-protect me...r-right? Y-you’re a hunter!” she exclaimed, hope filling her large brown eyes, mirrored by expressionless ice blue ones belonging to you. Right. She must have recognized the emblem on your shoulder, the lion head.

“I’ll do my best, Ally.” it wasn’t a promise. You hated making promises, because the future was uncertain.

Standing up, you tapped your earpiece again “One, this is two. Respond already!” but nothing happened, only static was your reply. Was it possible for the signal to be jammed? But jammed by what? This was so frustrating!

Almost on cue, the ground started shaking violently underneath your feet, as if the situation wasn’t bad enough. An earthquake was exactly what was needed to a complete what the fuck sort of day. You rushed to pick the girl in your arms as dust poured down from the ceiling in tandem with the shaking. In your mind, you counted the seconds until it was over, keeping the kid’s head buried in your neck for her safety.

As if the phenomenon somehow unclogged whatever was blocking the signal, the voice of One rang through your ear and it almost made you drop the girl. “Two …. There?....do…..understand….can’t….”

Frantically, you crouched down to let the child stand on her own feet, before tapping the earpiece, relief flooding your body. “One! I can hear you! I’m compromised! One I need to be taken out now! I’m on the west side of Ebott, Rosebud road, I need to be picked up urgently.” The reply was swift.

“...Two...can’t….kind….barrier….monsters….inside….humans…” fuck the signal! “I can’t understand!” you cried, grabbing Ally’s hand and rushing to the garage door opening you came through. Grabbing your knife once again, you slithered through and motioned for her to follow as you continued to tap the earpiece. “One! Please come and get me…” but then your eyes lingered upwards at the sky. Why was the sky shimmering?

You didn’t even realize that Ally was by your side, until she grasped your hand in hers. “Two, they erected some kind of barrier. We can’t get through. Only they can. I can’t get to you.” the signal was good again, but as it slowly started sinking in, that stopped mattering as much.

That wasn’t an earthquake, was it? You heard murmuring of some kind of device they were working on. It was all hush-hush and a human wasn’t privy to that kind of information, not unless you wanted to be discovered sooner than ready. “Where are you?” your voice lost its depth, trembling at the facts laid ahead. “We are en route to your location. Come as far as you can until you reach the barrier wall. Five minutes.”

_One, what the fuck?! How were you supposed to get there in five motherfucki--_

You then looked down at the girl. “Which one is your mom’s car?”

“..t-the red one…”

“Okay, go across the street, away from the garage door and cover your ears.” with that said, you crawled back underneath the door and then ran to the red car.

Just as suspected, it was unlocked. Quickly, you climbed in and started looking for the keys, until you found them inside the glove compartment. As soon as the engine roared to life, you checked the fuel, finding it satisfactory that it was a full tank. Smart mom. Your feet made quick work of the pedals and the hand brake, before you pulled the lever and shifted the car in reverse, getting out of the spot it was in and going backwards until you were at the end of the parking lot.

Switching the lever again, you hit the acceleration pedal down to the floor. The tyres screeched and you gripped the steering wheel tight as to keep it straight, before the car sped up and went right through the garage door, the impact throwing the lid right across the street into some abandoned boutique and breaking the windows, just a few meters away from where the kid was waiting with her hands clutched over her ears. 

You then pulled the hand brake, twisting the car and letting it slide close to Ally, before you leaned over and opened the passenger’s door for her. “Get in,” the child stared with wide eyes at you, but you only patted the seat and inched your jaw as if signaling her to climb in, again. This time, she obeyed and quietly got inside, closing the door and fiddling with the seat belt. As soon as you knew she was secure, you hit the acceleration and sped down the road towards the meeting point that One selected. The noise would probably attract attention. Were you concerned about any monsters getting in the way? Nah, not really. You could just run them over and dust them in the process.

There was, however, one thing on your mind. Did those poor humans escape before this so called barrier came up? If they didn’t, then all this was in vain. You literally spent ten months around monsters for nothing.

That alone made you angry and reckless, so you continued to raise the speed, your foot never leaving the pedal.

* * *

 

Five minutes later, you were approaching the meeting point, and if it weren’t for a building cut clean in two, you would have probably crashed right into the barrier. You slammed the brake pedal in an instant, stopping just a meter away from what could have been your end. Ally screamed next to you and covered her eyes, but when the engine stopped, she peeked through her fingers, trembling.

“It’s okay...we’re okay…” you offered, a small smile on your face. Mentally, you cursed your lack of observational sense. One wrong move and -- “Okay, stay inside. Don’t come out, no matter what happens, alright?” when she nodded with the frightened expression still on her face, you ruffled her hair lightly and got out of the car.

You literally couldn’t see the barrier unless you paid very close attention to the occasional shimmering. As if on cue, a truck came up from down the road, the emblem of the hunters clear on the hood and sides. It stopped a few meters away from the crazy wall and you remained unmoved until you saw One getting out of the vehicle, donning his hunter attire and mask, followed suit by a few other hunters.

Slowly, you approached the thing that separated you and he mirrored your movement. The striking fact that you realized really fast was that you couldn’t hear their car or what he was saying to you, managing to only watch helplessly as his mouth moved. “I...I can’t hear you…” and you tried to mimic that as best as you could.

Wait, the earpiece. Pointing at it, you paused until he caught on and tapped on the one in his ear.

“We can’t get you out, two. Only monsters can pass through it, as if they...copied the barrier that trapped them in and….made it better, personalized it.” His explanation only made panic travel through your stomach. “No, this can’t be it…” as you said that, you reached with your hand towards the wall, a sizzling hot pain burning your palm and making you shriek in surprise.

It literally burned your flesh.

So humans couldn’t get out? They trapped the city under a magic barrier from which nobody was able to escape, other than them? If no human could go out, then --”Can’t you get in?” desperation was edging your tone and the expression of fright didn’t help either.

One shook his head and to prove his point, he also touched the barrier, ending up with the same painful result as you. Those motherfuckers perfected their own barrier, they used the humans' own weapon against them! “Two, you’re the only hunter in there…” no shit! Burning rage poured from your eyes as you punched the barrier with an angry cry, meeting resistance and pain.

Shit shit shit shit SHIT.

 _Fuck_.

“Did the captured humans escape?” this time your voice was deadly calm.

“Just three, one was instantly killed by the barrier...it cut through her...the other ten are still inside.” oh fuck no…

A shiver ran down your spine and you closed your eyes, plopping down and lowering your gaze to the ground. “Does my father know?”

“Yes. He is doing all he can to find a way through this. Remember your training and remain hidden if possible.” your comrade instructed, crouching on the other side as if trying to meet your gaze. “I’m gonna get you out of there.”

A pathetic laugh rung from your mouth. It took the monsters eons to get out of the underground and figure something out, what chances did you have? “Get out of here before they find you, your orders are to stay low until we find a way in. Keep the earpiece, the channel is private and I can contact you if there are any news.”

Fuck your life. Who the fuck cared about news? The picture was clear and you could feel dread and panic just tying together in your stomach.

Glancing back at the car, you saw the timid little girl peeking up from her seat. You had to protect her and find the other captured humans again, regroup, think of a plan, map the barrier, see how far it stretched, find some safe locations. There were so many things to be done and that child was depending on you now.

Regarding One again, you nodded solemnly and stood up, dusting off your pants in the process.

“Goodbye, One.”

“Until we meet again, Two.”


	2. there's a storm raging in her eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for the kind comments and kudos 8D  
> so this is my first attempt at writing sans and hopefully it ain't that bad orz  
> I personally see him more of a dark humor kinda guy and he's gonna make lots of those in this story  
> soooooo yep. sorry if he's a bit mmm ooc? i'm still getting the hang of this, personality and whatnot  
> but here's hoping you'll enjoy it regardless!
> 
> songs to go with this : another way out by hollywood undead; STFD by TeZATalks

 

By nightfall, you found an abandoned apartment building and a flat that had its door unlocked, possibly from the inhabitants leaving in a hurry. It wasn’t something grand, in fact, it looked pretty ratty, but it would serve its purpose for you and the kid.

“Don’t turn on any lights.” you instructed as you closed the door and locked it as quietly as you could. The truth was, you didn’t know if this building was indeed 100% barren, so you had to be cautious.

“N-not even candles?” the stuttering of your companion came from the living room, where you found her rummaging through some ‘scented candles’. By the looks of it, this belonged to a chick, if the many multi-colored frilly pillows on the sofa was anything to go by. It had a really small TV and luckily, the living room had no windows, so the places to avoid were the small kitchen and bedroom. 

“Candles are good. You can turn on the TV while I look around for matches and something to eat.”

That said, you went about your task, looking around the cabinets for any cans. You abandoned the car a few streets away, just in case you needed it again and to throw anyone off your tracks. From there, you sneaked around alleyways and kept to the less known streets, all the while, double-checking your surroundings. Granted, being stealthy with a kid on your arm was harder than one might think.

Sweet-corn cans. These should do. Oh, and pineapple too. My, my, this was turning into a feast. Now where were those matches?

In your quest, you happened upon knives of various shapes and sizes. Your lips curled into a smile at the sight and you wasted no time in gathering them all and splaying them on the counter. As you glanced around for any more things that could come in handy, you spotted the matches just by the oven. Bingo.

You weren’t brave enough to open the fridge, though.

With the cans in your arms, you first went to the living room and sat on the couch, where Ally was huddled among some pillows. “You should take a shower first and then sleep. Maybe I can find some clean clothes in the bedroom.” the girl glanced at you and then eyed the cans hungrily.

Noticing this, you raised the cans up and grinned. “After we eat, of course.”

On TV there was only one channel that worked, and that involved a four-armed robot with an equal number of eyes pretending that it was ‘cooking’. Ah, monster entertainment. It didn’t surprise you that they would broadcast their own shit in this city now.

After opening two cans of sweet corn, you offered one to the kid and kept one for you. “Shit...spoons.”

“Mama said it’s bad to cuss…” the little one made sure to highlight with a worried stare in your direction. Well, you were about to tell her that her mom wasn’t here, but-- _yeah_. It almost slipped your mind.  

“Gotcha.” 

Taking this opportunity to also bring back the seven knives you found, you returned to the living room and sprawled the ‘weapons’ on the floor. They probably needed sharpening. Maybe you should also look for a backpack while you were at it. Staying in one place was risky, so carrying supplies was probably the best idea. 

Ally didn’t say anything anymore, or simply chose to remain ignorant and not ask about the cutlery. You two ate in silence, the soft glow of the TV engulfing the room enough to make it easier for you to see almost everything. 

When the kid was done, she quickly made her way to the bathroom, just as instructed. This was your cue to go find clothes. Pulling the matches, you lit up several candles, leaving one in the living room so the girl would know where to step and one in the doorway of the kitchen. 

The third, you took with yourself as you wandered inside the bedroom, settling it on a nightstand, before pulling the curtains as to avoid any detection.

As you suspected, it was the flat of a female and thankfully you found some flannels and pants that would fit you well enough. There were no shoes that could go, so you just stole some socks and went through the drawers again to maybe find something that would fit Ally as well.

In the end, you took a sweater and a sweatshirt for her. You could cut some leggings to make it work for the kid too. Grabbing all the necessities, including the half empty deodorant and brush from the scratched-up vanity, you marched back into the living room and started on the knives.

You didn’t have the necessary tools, but you knew plenty of ways to make it work. Another trip to the kitchen for a mug and you were set. Placing the cup upside down on the ground, you sat down by the knives and began the process of sharpening them, from the smallest to the largest, the sound that was made drowning into the background and mixing with the running water not far from you.

...

By the time you were done and analyzing your work, Ally walked out of the bathroom, a large towel all around her small frame. “I found you some stuff to wear. Get on the couch and dry until I shower, alright?” the girl only nodded distantly, but that was good enough. You went to get all the dirt and grease off.

In about ten minutes you were done and you even managed to wash your suit, keeping the harness and straps for your morning outfit, because you’d need them for your new knives. Ally was already asleep when you returned and got dressed in a pair of black leggings and some red flannel shirt. Autumn was going to end and the temperatures would soon drop, so you needed to take that into consideration. 

The next thing you did was find two backpacks and then gather some cans from the kitchen, including a blanket, the med-kit from the bathroom and a few clothes. When you were satisfied that everything was perfect, you climbed up on the couch and grabbed the throw-blanket from the armrest, draping it over both you and the kid.

 

* * *

 

As soon as morning came, you woke Ally up and went to wash your face and pull your hair in a high ponytail as to avoid it getting in the way, then helped the little girl get dressed and fed. You gave her the lighter backpack and after one last sweep, you took off.

Feeling the steel against your body made you feel more secure, more confident and thus, you decided today you would find out how far the barrier stretched. The most eventful thing that happened was breaking into a convenience store and stealing a map as to pinpoint the exact placement of the barrier around Ebott. Otherwise, you two walked and walked until the girl started whining and moaning about it. 

“C’mon, just a bit more and I can start calculating the angles, see the shape of this damned thing.” 

“My f-feet hurt…” you turned to her and sighed “I know, I know...but if we stay in one place, they could find us. After we’re done here, we’re gonna retreat for the night, sounds good?” 

Ally’s stomach grumbled in response.

...

Thankfully, the edges of the barrier were far from the center of the City, where most monsters were, but as the sun set, you became more vigilant. Mostly because now you were transitioning to a rural area and it was more open space than you would have liked. After some inner debates, you settled for a small house that looked empty, if the trashed frontyard and the lack of lights was anything to go by.

The sight of it was haunting, but being sitting ducks was worse, so you warily made your way over the front steps and inside, finding the door open. Quietly, you scouted the whole house until you were satisfied that there was nobody there, all while the kid waited for you at the doorway. “It’s clear.” 

And so, you repeated the previous night. This time, however, you were sprawled on the bedroom floor, where there were no windows, at the light of candles, calculating the shape and width of the barrier. The little girl was asleep on the bed while you scribbled away on pieces of paper found on the desk in that same room. 

Before you went to sleep, you managed to find some clothes that could fit Ally, boy’s clothes, but more comfortable nonetheless. As you laid on the bed, the small girl cuddling your side, you wondered if this was how your life would end up being like from then on. 

It was frightening.

* * *

 

“Two! Two, wake up!” you groaned at the alarmed hushed voice just screaming in your face and small hands shaking you, attempting to shove it all away, until you remembered where you were and the deep shit you were drowning into. Inhaling sharply, you sat up and blinked fast to make your vision sharpen from the blurriness of sleep and gather your bearings fast. 

“Wha...what?” the girl shushed you with a finger and pointed to the door. “I-I think I hear voices...there were growls.” 

“Fuck me…” you grunted as you slid off the bed, barely making it to the door without falling on your face. “Stay here..” you slurred sleepily to your companion as you grabbed one of the knives, unsheathing it from your harness that was laid on the floor. 

Shaking your head once more in order to focus, your hunter instincts kicked in and you became hyper-aware of everything around yourself once more. Shit, you fell into a deep slumber. You should be sleeping like a rabbit, not like a log. The whole walk yesterday must have taken its toll on your body too. That was unacceptable. You cracked the door open and listened closely, before sliding out without a sound and making your way around the house like a cat.

There was no one in the house. The voices were coming from outside, however. Of course, you strayed away from the windows, but you managed to get a good angle in order to see what was going on, through the crack of the curtains. There were dog monsters, breaking into a house, snarling and -- _oh god_. They caught someone in the house just across from this one. With widened eyes, you watched as the woman kicked and screamed as she was dragged outside by her hair, slammed on the ground and beaten to a pulp, her cries dying in volume with each merciless hit. 

Suddenly, her SOUL emerged from her body and you felt your own strum in panic as it was devoured by the monsters, ripped and maimed like it was some slab of meat. A shaky exhale left your lips and you knew it was time to get the fuck out of there. As silently as you were able, you rushed back into the bedroom and quickly pulled your gear together, gathered all your stuff, including your papers and shoved everything in your backpacks. “Time to go, backdoor, from the living room. Now.”

Your tone must have scared Ally, because she started trembling and doing the same as you, padding fast for the backdoor of the living room with you close on her tail, army knife gripped tight in your right hand.

As soon as you slid those glass doors open, you grabbed the kid’s hand in your free one, and slipped by unseen, at least until you were some good meters away. The bone-curdling howls that surged from the house left behind were anything but friendly and that was your cue for pulling harder on Ally’s hand and moving your feet faster at the prospect of your soul getting torn and eaten like that. 

Because shit, that was scary as fuck.

They must have smelled you two, those critters were like bloodhounds and just as vicious, you should know, you hunted those before. Suddenly, there was a shrill cry coming from Ally, making you whip your head to look at her, only to see her looking back, so you made the same mistake and -- _SHIT_.

Three fucking dogs were chasing you like it was a motherfucking hamburger-eating contest and you two were the hamburgers. That made your pace quicken into a run. You could handle them, you could, but, you needed the right place to take them on and this child was a problem. Ice blues darting around wildly, you finally found a dead end alley. Flinging Alley in first, you followed suit until she was backed into the wall with you between her and the threat. 

This was going to be your advantage, your back was safe and Ally was safe, so you could focus on the filthy beasts in front of you, licking their disgusting muzzles and giving you the crazy eyes. 

One had foam at the mouth-- _what the fuck?!_ The seriousness of the situation completely sobered you up. These things wanted to kill you. But not if you killed them first. 

Their fur was dirty, splatters of dried blood here and there, like a twisted version of hell hounds. But you weren’t intimidated, you slid out the butcher knife from your harness, the army knife already out, both blades facing outwards, and you could say you were ready to tango. If you got scared every time you saw a bloodthirsty monster, well, you wouldn’t be alive today. It wasn’t like in the movies, they didn’t come one at a time. They all jumped at the same time, but the fools didn’t know who they were fucking with.

With deadly precision, you ducked and slid underneath the first one, dragging your knives upwards and cutting it open from the belly to the throat. When it landed back on the ground, it was nothing but a pile of dust. Agilely, you twisted and body-slammed into the one coming for the little girl, making it smack hard into the wall on the side with a wail and fall on the pavement, too dizzy to get it together. Taking that opportunity, you turned and threw the butcher knife at the third, impaling it right into its throat, all in the span of a few seconds. Dust sprinkled everywhere, like snow, but that didn’t bother you, these were easy kills compared to what you had to face along the years. Instead, you moved your attention to the surviving mutt. 

“Get the fuck up.” you kicked it and it whimpered, scrambling away pathetically. “Do you understand what I am? If any of you come after me again, I’m gonna dust the whole fucking city if I have to.” empty threats, but hopefully they would hit home. If this underling would return and tell what happened, perhaps they would stay away from you. But that was wishful thinking, yet worth a try. It wasn’t as if they could find you after this incident, not if they sent their hounds again, because fear was something that if seeded correctly, it could bloom beautifully and these particular husks would think twice about biting your throat. Besides, now that you knew what was scavenging around these parts, you would be twice as cautious and this wasn't even you trying hard enough. This incident couldn’t happen again. 

“Now run back to the hole you crawled out of.” 

You didn’t have to say it twice. The monster dog scampered up and ran off limping and whimpering. With a sigh, you turned back to look at Ally, to assess her state, only to find her staring horrified at the dust that accumulated on the ground, including some of it over her clothes. “Kid, are you--” 

“I-I want home…” 

God, she was shaking. “Ally?” you reached forward to grab her shoulder, but she flinched and shied away. You would never admit it, but that kind of hurt. So you could only question what truly frightened her, the dogs or you? Regardless, you didn’t have time for this. “Listen, we should go now, we don’t have time for this. We still didn’t get to eat anything, so c’mon.” this time when you touched her shoulder, she didn’t pull away, merely sobbed as you dusted her jacket off. 

“Hey hey, no crying, alright? You’re a big girl, aren’t you?” you leaned down so you’d be eye-level with her. Finally, she peered up and into your eyes, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. “I got you.” you reluctantly pulled her close to you and crouched down this time, embracing her fully and stroking her back. To be honest, you sucked when it came down to emotional stuff and comforting others, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t mimic what you saw others do in times like these. The less resistant she was, the less trouble she’d be in the long run. 

“Let’s go find food, okay?” she nodded in your shoulder and when you let go of her, you could already see her being more compliant. Good. You went to retrieve the butcher knife, blowing away the dust on it and sheathing it back, keeping the army one out just to be safe. 

At least you were on the move again.

 

* * *

 

The best part about his job was napping and the best part about this whole fiasco was that it could be done in a huge ass house with expensive couches and those king sized beds that seemed never-ending. Personally, Sans could do without, but Papyrus was all about the luxurious life --and he always wanted an enormous kitchen, thus, it was a sealed deal when they chose their new house after they took the city. _Eh_ , he couldn’t complain. Those damn couches sure were comfy.  

Smoke lazily raised up from his cigarette and his half-shut eyes stared at the high and intricate ceiling. It seemed surreal, but they finally did it. They made it to the surface and just as planned, hit with all they had, took back what the humans stole from them. Granted, it was annoying that in the end, after many years, they had to settle for this city, but it was good enough for now. Didn’t mean there weren’t monsters roaming around outside of it, but now with Alphys’ device, they had a safe haven to return to and the humans had no choice but to suck it up.

“heh.” 

Took seven souls and a leap of fate, but here they were. Did he feel bad about the seven kids that lost their lives? Only the last one managed to make an impression, he would argue. Not that he would ever tell anyone that. Sacrifice for the greater good, right? He only had to glance at Papyrus and he knew what choice he had to make. 

His eyes were almost closed, cigarette long forgotten and almost slipping his phalanges when the commotion outside his door had him grunt and snap out of the tranquil state between awake and asleep. Whoever the fuck it was, he would strangle them. Dragging himself off the burgundy couch and putting out the cigarette on the coffee table, he grumbled and marched through the living room, the dining room, the hallways and then finally, to the freaking door, passing by a large statue of Papyrus smack in the middle of the large entryway, posing in a ‘fearsome' fashion, as he put it. He wanted his guests to fear him the moment they stepped inside their house, apparently.

It didn’t really work, but eh. 

The closer he got, the louder the voices were, so when he pushed the doors open with his magic, because he sure wasn’t gonna put effort into that, the whole noise died down. There were some dog monsters, Doggo, Dogamy and Doggaresa on the mansion's porch. “Sans, where’s Papyrus?” 

“Yeh yeh, we have a situation y’kno?”

Red eyes flicked over their faces, trying to figure out what was going on. “he ain’t here. but ya can tell me and i’ll let boss know.” he casually leaned against the doorframe. Why was he sweating already? 

The dog monsters looked at each other first and Sans had to keep himself from snapping, his usual grin twitching downwards. “Two of the guard dogs were...dusted.” Dogamy finally stated, glancing at the monster dogs behind them, one of them in an especially bad condition. “It’s a hunter!” Doggo butted in, exclaiming that with a snarl. 

“One of them white faced bastards managed to get in!” 

“Or they were already in and we didn’t know it until the barrier came up.” what Dogaressa added made Sans stiffen, red orbs darting over the trio. Shit. He thought that after he chased that bitch down, she might have gotten out of the city. Papyrus threw a fit over the slaves being freed and he was sent to retrieve them. Only three managed to get out, one was cut in two, a grotesque and fascinating sight that he had the pleasure of witnessing and the other ten were recaptured easily with Undyne's help. 

 _welp._  

The chick obviously didn’t escape. “a’ight. wher’d that happen?” because he wasn’t planning on telling Papyrus anything, not yet. He was gonna take care of this loose end all by himself. A pregnant pause fell over them all.

When his request was met with silence, his sockets went completely black, deciding to give them a shove in the right direction. “what do ya call a _dog_ with no legs?” his sharp grin hitched higher “it don’t matter what ya call it cause _it won’t come anyway_.” the subtle threat must have been enough, because Doggo visibly tensed and the other two avoided his empty stare.

They must’ve forgotten how things worked in the Underground. The ‘kill or be killed’ policy was still a go, even if this was the surface. At least from his point of view. “...east of the barrier...orange street…” the female monster muttered, this time without any bite to her tone. 

“that’s the spirit,” his red eyelights returned “i’m gonna be the one telling boss. if ya bark one word ‘bout this…” he took one threatening step towards them “ _ya ain’t gonna have a good time._ ” 

Without any other words and feeling like he had made himself clear, Sans retreated inside and slammed the doors shut without moving a finger. He had a little birdie to catch and when he did, he’d make sure to snap her neck and rip those wings right off. Hang her skull on his bedroom wall maybe.

Grabbing his black jacket off the couch, the one that was ripped from her knives, the skeleton quickly shoved it on and pulled up his hoodie, vanishing from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to kudos and review!  
> I love hearing from you guys~


	3. heart is in a rough place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey! this chapter's a bit shorter because it acts as a transition  
> but the next one will be longer, probably, we'll see o Do  
> hope you'll enjoy this one regardless 
> 
> songs to go with this : Fallen Roses ft. B dom - Yours And Nobody Else's ; Lauv - Adrenaline

The rest of that forsaken day was spent walking as far from that area as possible and constantly looking over your shoulder, stopping for a few seconds to cover any tracks and staying out of any possibility of being sighted.

For the most part, you stuck to the outskirts of the city, where you knew you would be safer, because as soon as you got closer to the center, you would come face to face with monsters. It was simple logic. They were greedy, they wanted nice houses, nice locations, if possible, to stay in luxury and spend time eating and drinking expensive stuff, things that humans supposedly ‘took’ from them, so the gluttony was strong with those. Then there was the fact that they would probably stick around other monsters, because there was the socializing factor and a herd was stronger than one individual. Of course they would populate certain areas and stay away from others, such as the undesirable slums and outskirts.

It was already dark outside and you two were in another flat, this time looking really bad and smelling of something you were afraid to identify, but at least it still had running water and electricity. There was also a shitty couch that you decided to use for the time being, draping a blanket over it to be sure. You already ate some tuna from some cans you found in the kitchen and now you were still calculating what you started the previous night.

Ally was already on the couch, sleeping. Kids needed more time to sleep than adults did, so you had nothing against it, but it was worrying how she was starting to get in your way. Not that your moral compass was _swaying_ , but you never had to...look after someone. That notion was foreign, because with other hunters on the field, you knew they were competent enough to look after themselves, yet with this child, well, everything looked like a threat and should you even begin with how emotionally fragile she was?

Casting a glance at her sleeping face, you sighed and returned to your results, clearly scribbled on the crumpled paper. The barrier was round. It covered the whole city, including the air space. That struck down the idea of flying over it.

Fishing the map from your backpack, you layed it on the floor and tried your best to use your fingers to measure before scribbling an x on the four cardinal points. Now to try and draw a circle that didn't look like a piece of trash. With the eye-hurting pink marker you found in the previous location, you connected the points you made until you had...a somewhat decent thing to actually look at.

 _The barrier was enormous_. The curious thing, however, was that while it covered the City and its outskirts, it also covered the Mountain, the one under which the monsters were trapped, or at least a decent amount of it. What purpose did that serve? Regardless, for the shape to be so perfectly symmetric, normally the device would have to be in the middle of the whole thing, much like a power source to cover all sides equally.

At least that theory made the most logic.

Using your fingers again to measure, you marked the center of the circle with a point. Ebott City Hall, it said underneath. _Fucking great_. They were smarter than you gave them credit.

Sighing, you decided to go over the contents of your harness and what else you managed to salvage from your hunter suit. It was good to keep count of everything you still had. A food inventory was also in order. As you pulled all the stuff you could find, you had everything splayed on the floor, including the knives. Even the earpiece.

There had been no contact all this time.

It wasn’t as if you weren’t used to the _loneliness_ , it was the fact that you were stuck here and they were out there. It felt as if you were a caged animal, reduced to just prowling behind bars and nobody giving a shit about it.

Did they forget about you?

No. Your father wouldn’t…. _would he_? One wouldn’t. Would he? Shaking your head to get rid of all these thoughts, you returned to your previous thoughts, fingers brushing over the blades and then a small device with a screen on the side.

_Oh._

You almost forgot about this one. Granted, this was a last resort type of thing and only to be used on boss-monsters. It would serve you in the future, maybe if you ever got close enough to the leader of this whole shit, the name that was whispered even among monsters. During the time you spent around them, the title and name came up maybe four times and each time it was spoken, something bad was going down.

What was it again? Asgore? Yeah.

You attached the device to your harness’ thigh strap. That way you would have easy access to it and nobody would know what purpose it served unless you told them. Otherwise, it looked like a pager, kinda.

Now the food.

Two cans of tuna left, one pineapple and two with sweet-corn. A convenience store heist was gonna be the next thing on your to-do list. Maybe get some bottled water instead of drinking the one from the sinks. Tap water was not safe, not in these times. “M-mama…” the soft murmur snapped you from your thoughts and you quickly glanced over at Ally.

She was dreaming, apparently.

Perhaps this was enough for tonight. Packing everything up, you finally settled on the couch and pulled the small girl to you, a gesture to which she immediately responded and her small hands curled into your shirt and side as she cuddled into you. In a way, you were thankful for her, because while you were more efficient when alone, having another body, talking to someone and just being in another’s company was...nice.

That on your mind, you slowly drifted into a light sleep.

 

* * *

 

  
The bitch sure knew how to conceal her tracks. Sans was currently looking around the house where the hunter had stayed in. The pile of clothes left in the bedroom of a boy completely out of place, because they looked like they belonged to a grown adult female. Then there were some empty cans of apricots on the desk and some used candles on the ground, some paper crumpled in a corner and -- _oh, there was also that corpse from across the street_.

He figured she must have seen or heard the other human, which alerted her and prompted her to run. That meant she had to be close and after popping into a few houses around the area, he finally found this. The theory that she might have been in cahoots with the other dead female had been lingering for a while, but she was a hunter and that meant she would have swept in to protect and kill. So, that also meant she was inside this house instead of the one across and probably unaware of a human inhabiting the other place.

Sans calmly walked over to the crumpled piece of paper and leaned over to pick it up. As soon as his red pinpricks fell over the things scribbled on it, his grin twitched down in irritation. She was in the process of calculating the width, height, depth and shape of the barrier. _Fucking stars!_ The white face was witty, wasn’t she? He might’ve underestimated her. Tearing the paper with a snarl, the skeleton eyed the candles on the floor and then walked out of the bedroom, gaze turning to the windows in the living room and then the glass doors that were slid open.

Going out through the front door was plain stupid, so that meant she took the back route. His red and black sneakers screeched on the floorboard as he took a sharp turn towards that exit point and then outside. There was only one street that ran down behind the house, which made the chase easier.

Sure enough, after a five minute walk down that path, he came upon the two piles of dust in a narrow alleyway that proved to be just a dead-end. To think she managed to do this damage and she had been cornered! Her back was to the _wall_ \--his eyes widened in sudden realization. _That was intentional._

He looked at the whole scene from a different angle. She was never in danger, she lured them into a trap, that way her blind spot was covered and they could only come at her on her own terms. She literally _set the rules_ to how they could attack her, like dangling bait for some dumb fish.

“... _wolf in sheep’s clothing_ ain’tcha?” it only made the chase that more thrilling. In fact, he strongly believed that she let the third monster go only to gloat, to send them a message. A big smug ‘ _fuck you_ ’ just for them. Did she know? Was she aware of being tracked down? The hunter just became the hunted, how ironic would she find that? Would she _laugh_ as much as he was going to? That put a wide sharp grin on his face. “bet she won’t see me comin’.”

Time to find this _Icarus_.

 

* * *

 

The whole night, you stood guard, catching sleep for a few seconds and then resuming watching over the little girl and the flat, before repeating, up until morning. It wasn’t unpleasant, not anymore. This was part of your training and your body adapted with time, however, there were instances when you did pass out from fatigue, just like the previous night.

It didn’t happen until a few days later, though.

When Ally woke up, you were sharpening the knives again, something you did when your were particularly anxious in your many years as a hunter, a habit you picked up since you were still a child and groomed over time. If she was disturbed by the sight, she didn’t say anything, instead she quietly slid off the couch and sat down on the floor by your side, watching as you continued your ministration.

“Two?”

“Hm?”

Her head pressed on your arm and she leaned on you. As a result, you tensed, unused to touching without you initiating it. “I-I’m s-sorry…” you relaxed a bit and glanced at her for a second, returning to gliding the surface of the knife over the bottom of a mug you found in the kitchen, a bit more forcefully now.

“It’s fine.”

“T-thank you…”

“I said it’s fine.” you frowned just slightly, wishing this topic would be done with.“I’m...s-sorry…” why was she so innocent? This time you said nothing and just moved to the butcher knife. Sharpening this one was more challenging.

“D-do you have a-a mommy?” what was this? An interrogation? You bristled noticeably and paused your movement completely. “ _No._ ”

“O-oh. What about a daddy?”

An irritated sigh passed through your lips and for a moment you wondered if you should indulge in this...thing the kid was attempting to do. Getting attached was not an option in situations such as these. “Yes.” at this, she perked up and sat up, looking up at you with those big brown eyes of hers.

“W-what is his name?”

Ugh. Fine. It’s not like you had any plans on what to do for the moment and maybe staying in this place for a while longer was better, given the commotion that you probably stirred with that attack yesterday.

“Ezekiel.” you set aside the knives and leaned back on the couch’s edge, the cushion providing some comfort for your spine. “Mother’s name was Sofie” no harm done if you didn’t mention last names, after all, what ulterior motives could a child have?

“My m-mom’s name was Mary Ann.”

Ah, so it was that bonding thing children were trying to do and given that you were the only one around, she sought your comfort and guidance. When you didn’t say anything, the small girl shifted and pulled her knees up to her chest, looking at the wall in front of you two.

“D-do you miss your daddy?”

That question took you by surprise, made you abruptly stare at the kid with an inquiring raise of a brow and then a frown, because you didn’t know how to answer that? You did, but you didn’t, at the same time. Sure, all you ever wanted since you were little was to be praised by him, seen as more than...a tool, a means to an end. You grew comfortable with the reality, though, but now that he didn’t even come in person to see you or even tried to contact you at all ...well, it made you think about all kinds of different things, made you ponder.

Sacrifice for the greater good, he would always say. He sacrificed his fatherhood for the greater good of humanity, for what was best for the world and his father did the same and his father’s father and so on. You understood all that, but you couldn’t help feeling selfish sometimes and thinking ‘ _what if_ \--’ no, that had to stay away from your mind. It wasn’t the time for this kinda stuff. You had to have faith. Your father wouldn’t abandon you here.

“Yeah...I do.”

Time to get moving. Enough of this crap. “Let’s eat, wash and get dressed. We’re leaving after that, okay?” you leaned over and ruffled her light brown hair, making her whine at the treatment and attempt to pat the wild strands back down.

You left after about two hours. The rest of the day, you spent searching for food and water from convenience stores and before you knew it, you came to become closer to the child over the next five days spent together, more comfortable and at ease. Hell, you went as far as giving her a piggyback ride when she would start moaning about her feet hurting and opening her cans for her, even looking specifically for food that would be better suited for her instead of you.

For some reason, you felt determined to keep this twerp safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to shoot me a review because I love hearing what you guys think  
> and feedback makes me smile and inspires me to write more sooooo yep !
> 
> oh and kudos are always welcome ; u; b  
> let me know if there are certain scenarios you'd love to see and I'll take it into consideration!


	4. this is my coup d'etat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, I'm back with the latest chapter  
> this is longer, as I promised and...well, let me warn you now, that it's violent  
> sooo, if you're not up for that, pls don't read? 
> 
> songs to go with this: Nihils - Help Our Souls (Urban Contact Remix) ; Jarvis - Close My Eyes (Ray Volpe Remix)

It had been more than a week, maybe nine or ten days to be specific, since this whole crap went down and you got stuck. You were afraid to admit that it was becoming a routine to always be on your toes, always tense, always expecting something to come at you. This was no way of living, not for you and not for Ally. Exhaustion was slowly starting to bite at your ankles and sleep was becoming a luxury.

Every sound in the night was a potential threat and every shadow was something waiting to get you when you didn’t pay attention. You studied the map religiously, as if you would discover some kind of secret hidden in there, some opening, some door, a loophole...anything to get you both out of this predicament.

Of course, that was just your paranoia spiking up.

While that was good and kept you careful and focused, well, you were already starting to feel a strain. Hunters didn’t get tired, but their missions mostly took a few days and others required undercover work, that was far easier than striving to survive every second, minute and day.

Thus, after a whole night of contemplation, you finally decided that the mountain was your best choice for now. It was highly improbable that the monsters would return to the place they left behind. More so, it would provide camouflage and steep terrain, something you could use to your advantage if the time came.

The next day, you searched for all that you needed. A tent, supplies, a backpack fit for camping necessities and some clothes, while Ally remained behind in what you believed was a safe enough location. After all, you needed to be fast on your feet and a kid wasn’t gonna help you much on this task. Thankfully, she was understanding and compliant and you left her with one of your knives just in case.

When you returned, you realized just how much she grew on you when she hugged your legs tight and you made no move to peel her off. Well, until it got awkwardly long and you pried her off by moving your legs so you could get inside the shit flat you had used for the night. No more houses for you, that lesson was learned.

“We’re going up on the mountain.”

And her absolutely incredulous expression spoke volumes. The next few hours were spent trying to convince the little girl about the benefits and advantages of going up there and spending a few days in the wilderness. In the end, she huffed and helped you make a list of what you had stolen, stubbornly accepting the whole idea.

This also gave you an opportunity to check the hole the monsters crawled out of, a curiosity you’ve always had, especially now that you were stuck here.

By noon, you had a big ass backpack weighing you down and two sleeping bags under both arms, while Ally was carrying a smaller version of your rucksack and whining as you climbed your way up the path of the mountain. As soon as you were sure where you were headed, you strayed from the dirt road and guided you both through dense forest to avoid detection. It was best to avoid clearings and such, because you never knew for sure if monsters would stay away from the area.

By sunset, you were already high enough and deep in the forest to set camp and be safe from any prying eyes. Diligently, you worked on the tent, pondering if you should make a fire or not. Of course, you went with no. That would be a very bad idea indeed. Therefore, you pulled the blankets out as soon as you were done and cocooned the little girl in one, despite her protests.

The air was significantly cleaner and crisp and the silence of the forest had a calming effect over your mind. Your muscles finally loosened bit by bit as you ate with the kid by your side and watched the last bit of the sun disappearing in a palette of blue and red hues. The crickets started making noise and the stars started twinkling up above on a clear sky. You finally released a sigh and set down your empty can of tuna, picking up a bottle of water and taking small sips.

“Do you think mommy’s up there?”

Damn. The kid had some really deep questions to surprise you with whenever you let your guard down. You were starting to think she had a whole list ready for occasions such as this. Standing up from the log that you used as a bench to sit on in order to eat, you quickly pulled your own blanket over your shoulders and settled back down. Ally was looking at you now, expectantly.

“I...umm...think so?” that wasn’t satisfactory by the way her eyes filled with sadness, so you just shimmied closer to her and pulled her under your arm and blanket, even if she had her own around her body. “Do you think she’s there?”

“Yes...she told me that when people go away they turn into stars, so they can watch over the ones they love the most!” she replied almost excitedly, looking back up at the sky with so much adoration that you felt your chest tighten. “That’s her.” the little girl pointed to the brightest star and grinned at you.

“She’s beautiful.” was all that you could say as you also turned your attention to the sight above. “Of course she is!” and that managed to get you to chuckle and ruffle her hair, something she was annoyed with but let you do it anyway.

“Time to sleep kid,” you spoke, nudging her towards the tent. “The sleeping bags are ready, so just get in, okay? I’ll stay a bit more, make sure we’re good for the night.”

She did like you said, without questioning and as soon as you were alone, you returned to stargazing, pale blue orbs staring in awe at how clear the celestial bodies were from here. It felt as if all your worries just melted away and you could finally enjoy some peace and quiet. This must have been the best idea you had so far.

* * *

 

  
You slept like a baby that night. The shadows didn’t look threatening anymore and the noises weren’t worrying, just animals in the forest, roaming about. In fact, you woke up so energized that you scouted the surroundings twice and opened some cans of mixed fruit for the morning, got everything packed up in record time and all that while Ally was sleeping comfortably in her sleeping bag. Not even the fact that she was moved at some point so you could get the tent down managed to disturb her. It was incredible how much trust she had put in you to be so vulnerable no matter what she heard or felt, knowing that you were there and you would protect her no matter what.

Munching on your breakfast, you glanced from time to time in her direction and then in the distance, through the trunks of old trees and bushes, pausing once in a while to listen closely. Today you’d continue your hike to the hole of the Underground. Licking your lips, you took another spoonful of cherries and pineapple in syrup, just as your companion finally yawned and shifted noisily behind you.

Probably wondering where the tent was.

“Morning kid.” you managed between chews, without even looking at her. She groggily mumbled something and dragged herself to the log you were sitting on, picking up her own can and digging in. A smile curled itself over your lips and your gaze returned to the front, basking in the sunlight and the comfortable silence.

...

Two hours later, you were hunched over the map that you splayed on the ground, frowning as you analyzed it closely. The girl was huffing next to you with an equally irritated expression. “Are you sure we aren’t lost?” she asked for the tenth time.

No. Of course you weren’t. You were a hunter, you never got lost --maybe a little. Possibly.

Relying on the GPS system incorporated in your mask, displaying your directions and routes all the time through the visor, sure had a negative effect now that you had to read a map and figure just where you were.

“No, we’re not lost. I just had to check to make sure.” you would never admit to this child that you were fucked. Never. Your pride wouldn’t allow it. The kid sighed in response as you stood up and folded the map but kept it in your hand for good measure.

“That way.”

Three more hours spent wandering and you were more lost than before. Everything looked the same, all the trees had the same shape and you were slowly running out of patience. For god knows what time, you stopped to look at the map.

“We’re lost...aren’t we?” fucking damn it, you were not lost --oh! Was that water you were hearing? Your eyes darted around as you held your breath, listening, focusing...until you pinpointed with scary accuracy where the sound was coming from. Quickly, you rushed through brush and branches, the little girl hot on your tail, until you reached a stream.

  
“Fuck yeah!” you pumped your fist in the air and mentally gave yourself a pat on the back. You both high-fived and proceeded to wash your faces with the cold water and fill your bottles.

That soon ended up in a small splash war, refreshing nonetheless, but ending up with your shirt and pants soaked. It was a good time as any to pause your hike and stop for some food. You took this opportunity to find this exact spot on the map, so you knew where you were this time and then traced the way towards where the cave to the Underground was.

So maybe another day of hiking.

But then you would have to stop for the night again and maybe reach it by morning. Your eyes traveled over the stream that was marked on the map as a very thin blue line, thinking of maybe another route, maybe follow its flow to minimize the chances of getting lost.

With a sigh, you set the thick paper aside and took off your earpiece. It was getting more and more uncomfortable wearing it day and night. You even tried contacting One but he never responded, nobody did. Maybe the signal was jammed again. That had to be it. If only you could get to that device and find a way to shut it off...but you were under orders not to engage the monsters.

Well, at least the ones in the city. Those dog ones attacked you first.

Regardless, the earpiece was useless now. You shoved it in your flannel’s breast pocket and buttoned that up before you took it off completely and wrapped it around your middle. Underneath, you had a cotton black t-shirt anyway, so you were fine and it was warm today.

Ally was two or three meters away from you, enjoying a can of sweet corn and staring at the stream thoughtfully, her blue dungarees and green sweatshirt a bit wet but drying.

“Okay, time to move.” you announced, standing up and pulling the rucksack on your back again. You opted for not eating yet, you didn’t need it and you could run on less, but the kid had to stay fed and healthy.

Begrudgingly, she finished her meal and you were on the way. This time, you followed the stream upwards.

...

  
It wasn’t until a few hours later that you felt a chill run down your spine. You shuddered, but decided to brush it off for now with one single glance over your surroundings. But then the feeling intensified, as if every little bit of you was telling you that something was off and that you needed to get your guard up.

When it became so intense you just couldn’t take another step, you paused, holding Ally tight to your side and waited with bated breath. “Two?”

“Shh.” you quickly hushed her and listened, muscles tense, eyes straining through the dimming light of the sun slowly setting. Hell, you were about to suggest setting camp, but then you felt as if you were...followed. Watched.

After so many years, your senses were sharpened, your instincts were honed to almost perfection and if you couldn’t even tell when you were the one hunted, well, that would make you a shitty hunter for one. This was that distinct feeling.

A twig snapped a few feet behind you.

Your head immediately turned to look behind, grip tightening on Ally. Nothing. There was nothing there. “guess i’m gonna _wing it_ ,” --shit.

_That voice._

That fucking voice.

“since ya already figured it out.”

Slowly, you turned your head back, eyes widened, staring at the skeleton you had encountered that forsaken day that got you trapped in here. His eye wasn’t blazing, but the red pinpricks stared at you with such intensity that it made your whole body stiffen. You pressed your lips together as he stood there, a few feet in front of you, that permanent grin of his something out of nightmares.

Millions of thoughts ran through your mind at the speed of light, trying to find the best case scenario. First, you had to make sure Ally was safe. You needed to stall this bag of dicks.

With a shove, you urged her back, without even looking at her, afraid that he might disappear if you even blinked. “Run.”

“Two--”

“I said run! Get as far away as possible.”

“B-but I’m--”

“Did I fucking _stutter_!?” the quick footfalls were enough to tell you that she did as you said. His eyes didn’t even move, they just stayed fixed on you. At least you knew he wasn’t going to chase down the kid and kill her. Good. But did you even trust that? You had to make sure he wasn’t coming out alive and give Ally a chance to get as far as she could. The heavy rucksack dropped on the floor and in a second, you slid your hunting knife out, inching it in front of you and crouching, ready for battle.

“that a knife or are ya just happy to see me?” he snickered darkly, raising his hand. In an instant, at least a hundred sharp bones engulfed in a red glow raised up above him, aimed in your direction.

Your breathing quickened, calculating your chances, your odds. Then it all came raining down in a flash of red and pain. You dodged a few coming right at your face, ducked and dropped to the ground, but several managed to hit before you took cover behind a tree trunk. Your shoulder and back were bleeding and so was your hip and left thigh. The burning and stinging was nothing new, so you completely ignored the gashes.

More importantly, you needed a plan.

More time.

Suddenly, he appeared in front of you, grinning that devil grin, gold tooth glinting as the sun set at his back. Your body felt heavy, you couldn’t control your limbs and before you knew it, you were lifted off your feet, your SOUL ripped from your chest and bathed in a red glow.

Telekinesis.

He flung you with so much strength that the air was literally knocked out of you, back colliding with a sickening crack into a trunk. You couldn’t even catch your breath, because he then crashed you on the ground, blood already dripping from the back of your head and down your neck.

“ya look a little _breathless_ , dollface. lemme help you with that.”

Pain just surged through your whole body when he lifted his hand again and made a throwing motion, sending you flying through brush and branches, until you finally hit another tree and slid down in a bloody mess. This time, his pressure was no longer there. He let go of his hold on your SOUL.

You had to get the fuck up and get the upperhand.

_Fast._

Clenching your teeth, you crawled away from sight and then stood on wobbly legs. You couldn’t breathe properly and your vision was blurred, there was blood oozing through your shirt and down your face, the gash on your back probably --no, you had to pull through this.

You’d been in worse states than this one, right?

Managed to kill that one fire monster with a broken leg. You limped until you heard his lazy footsteps. Confident, proud, careless and taking his time. Playing with his prey. Holding your breath, you hid behind a tree trunk, waiting, listening. Your fingers brushed over your harness, to your thigh, where the butcher knife was. Somehow you managed to lose your army one when he pulled that shit on you the first time.

Then...you found the rectangular shape of that device you found a while back, still attached to your harness. Looking down at it, you pondered.

He wasn’t a boss monster. But did it matter right now?

“c’mon doll, didn’t mean to hurt’cha, i just wanna _kill_ ya, das all.” he lazily spoke, growing closer and closer. He passed by the tree your were hiding behind and you could feel the buzz of magic following him like bad odor.

Your mind was made up.

When you were sure he was out of sight, you grabbed a slender knife, held it between your teeth with the blunt side on your end to avoid cutting yourself and then hoisted yourself up on the trunk, using the bumpy and rough bark to climb up as soundlessly as possible.

Finding a stable branch that was high enough, you crouched over the thickest side of it and grabbed the knife from your mouth, eyes darting around you, calculating the angle, the chances of your plan working out as your analytical mind dictated it would. Marking a spot underneath the tree mentally, you then held on the trunk and aimed the knife in your hand towards the tree across, a sliver of a path separating the two.

You were going to use his own trick against him.

Despite the fact that your arm ached like a bitch, you pushed through the pain and threw the knife with a perfect arch. As planned, it made a loud rustling noise when it cut through a bush and impaled itself into the ground.

As if by _magic_ , the skeleton suddenly popped up from thin air lured by the sound like a snake, right near the tree you were hiding in, but not quite in the right spot. He looked around, unaware that you were a few feet above him, too high for him to notice and using the thick foliage to camouflage.

“come out come out wherever ya are,” he took a step towards the opposite tree, feeling confident that he found you, that he had cornered you. After all, wounded prey was predictable, wasn’t it? It wouldn’t have the energy to continue fighting long.

_But you weren’t prey._

When he finally stepped in the right spot, you jumped. He had no time to turn, your legs were the first to collide with his back, bringing him down face-first into the dirt. Before he could pull any shit, you straddled his back, pulled the device free from your harness and yanked the back of his jacket and shirt up, attaching it to his spine in a second and pressing the activation button. The device came to life with a beep and clung to the bone just as he snarled and flung you off him with so much strength that it threw you away a meter or so.

But no, _you weren’t done_ with him.

He twisted and glared viciously at you but as he raised his hand up, not only did nothing happen, but his whole body seized and he dropped to the ground with a pained cry. Panting and grinning almost maniacally, you watched as the scene unfolded, him trying to use his magic and the device zapping him violently every time.

“what the fuck did ya do to me bitch?!” another failed attempt. You started laughing, you didn’t know why, but you were laughing and your pain didn’t even register. No, you were on a roll. He was wheezing on the ground, snarling and glaring, probably trying to understand what was happening to him. That was when you crawled towards him.

Another zap.

“You’re gonna turn yourself to dust, you piece of shit.” you cackled, grabbing him by the leash on his neck, something you just noticed, and wrapping the chain around your knuckles as you straddled him. He went stiff, no more energy left to fight you, just watching your bloody grin as you brought your arm back, yanking him slightly with the motion, and then bringing your fist down on his skull.

 _Once, twice, three times, four times_ , until you heard a crack and a howl of pain. More expletives poured from his mouth, deaf on your ears however. 

You didn’t even realize his phalanges were sinking into the flesh of your arm that kept him down. Time to turn him to dust. Releasing the chain and watching with morbid fascination as a crack managed to form over his cheek and under his eye socket from your punches, you finally slid out the butcher knife.

“You wanted to kill me, huh? How the mighty have--”

A distant scream halted you, your eyes widening and grip growing slack on the knife’s handle. You sat up straight, still on top of the monster and looked in the general direction from which it came; there was no mistaking that it had been Ally. Heart racing, you forgot about the monster catching his breath beneath you, but a sudden punch to the side of your face snapped you out of your focused state, literally punting you off of him.

“fuckin’ bitch!” then he was the one straddling you and grabbing your collar to give you the same treatment, however, you weren’t going to have it. Grabbing his leash again, you yanked him to you, nose to...well, nose cavity and that seemed to have him stutter in his movements.

And then you headbutted him.

He wailed in pain and pulled away, rubbing the spot where you hit and giving you the opportunity to scatter back on your feet, legs feeling like jelly and breathing coming heavily and harder.

“That thing I put on you.” _Pant_ “Only I can take it off. Only I know the code.” _Pant_ “It disrupts your magic, so you can’t use it and as a motherfucking bonus, it electrocutes you whenever you try to pull shit like that.”

A bitter laugh left your sore throat.

“Did I mention that I can light you up like a firework on the fourth of july?” he was breathing just as heavily, sweating and watching you as if you were the devil. Maybe you were.

At least in his eyes.

“Surprise motherfucker.”

Now for an encore. You stumbled up to him, his grin now downwards, sharp teeth clenched together and red pinpricks on you like a hawk. Bringing your leg back, you flung it right into his skull, knocking him out cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to kudos and review if you liked it!
> 
> I love hearing your feedback, keeps me inspired, so please don't shy away from letting me know through reviews!


	5. walking the long road watching the sky fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew, this took more than I expected  
> and I'm still not....happy with it orz  
> but i dunno what more i can do; on that note, if anything seems unclear, that's fine, you didn't miss anything  
> and everything will be explained in the next chapter from reader's view  
> then things will make sense! 
> 
> songs to go with this : Devil Devil - Milck ; Bryce Fox - Horns

 

_Smoke._

Warmth. _Rain_? The pit-patter and a low rumble were the things that Sans woke up to. His pinpricks stared at the dull grey outside and he blinked. Once. Twice. Why was he laying on his side in the dirt?

As soon as he tried to move his limbs, he found that he couldn’t. His hands were tied, quite tight and so were his feet. For a second he actually believed the world had been reset again but the rope that uncomfortably bit at his wrist bones was an indication that that wasn’t the case, that this was real-- that and the events that went down slowly started to fall into place like the pieces of a puzzle.

Naturally, his body reacted by accessing his magic, but the strong surge of electricity made him exhale sharply and groan as soon as it was over. Apparently, he forgot about that. Footsteps approached him from behind and he was suddenly dragged by what he could guess was his hoodie, the bumps of the hard ground making him growl ferally. He was pulled upwards and in a sitting position, his back thrown to the rock-like wall as if he was nothing but garbage.

The first thing he noticed was that he was in a cave. He could see the peak of Mt.Ebott from here, relatively close too.

Quickly after, he took in his surroundings. There was a small fire a few feet away from him, a tent and a rucksack, some clothes and -- _her_. He wanted to rip her to pieces, he really did, but when his red orbs fell on her, all of that ceased in a second, as if he hit the proverbial brakes suddenly.

She was only in her undergarments, bare feet and all, sitting across from him, bandages hanging from her legs, middle, shoulder, arm and...finally, head. Then there was the blood seeping through the stark white material and the scars that already littered her body here and there like a pattern of some sort, a particular jagged one on her hip that ran down her thigh, pulling him in like a moth to a flame. First, he drank in this sight of her, then, he let his eyes roam appreciatively over her sculpted and especially broken body, broken by him, he noted, with a swell of pride. He stopped at the cigarette she held between her fingers as she assessed him with a muted look in her eyes, having sat down on the large backpack.

 _Heh_. _Ass_ -essed.

She took a long drag and blew the smoke in his direction. If she weren’t the hunter that literally took his magic from him and killed monsters for a living, he might have fucked her on the spot.

Because this sight was making him strain against the bindings with the conflicting urge to slaughter her and bend her over at the same time.

“Had a good sleep, you sack of shit?”

Her voice was calm, no single emotion in it, even with the insult at the very end. Flicking some ash between him and her, the huntress let the silence settle for a while, before her eyes fixed him again. “I had this hunter comrade that once told me ‘ _sometimes you just gotta sit your ass down and smoke a cigarette in quiet contemplation_ ’ --and he was right. It’s epiphanous.” more ash fell on the ground and she brought the cigarette back between those plump lips, the bottom one cut slightly. The side of her face was a purple-ish hue, bruised from his punch. He started to sweat at the sight, knowing he was the cause of all those, grin hitching a bit higher.

“He got killed though, burned alive. Wasn’t that good anyway and I had better things to do than watch over those subpar twats that couldn’t even hold a knife to save their lives.”

More smoke blown in his direction.

The bandage around her arm was coming loose. She did a sloppy job at getting her wounds wrapped up. Maybe she’d end up dying of some infection, but that was wishful thinking. “That is to say, if I don’t give a shit about my comrades, I sure as fuck don’t give a shit about your life or the life of your pals.” --not something he didn’t expect.

She shifted, standing up and turning her back to him, a pair of perfectly toned and round buttocks smeared with some dirt from where she probably sat, greeting him -- _shit_ , he could see her spine, the way it protruded and arched, the dimples. And then she fucking leaned down, presenting him with a sight that made him swallow thickly and wish he was free, magic or not.

She was the hunter, he had to remind himself as he tried to look away. She captured him. She beat him at his own fucking game and then dragged him off like she owned him, like some object. Stars, she didn’t even kill him! How humiliating was that?

When she turned to face him again, his pinpricks moved over the hip bones just above her panties and then the way her collar bones were so -- _what fresh hell was this?_ Of all the hunters that could have been stuck here, it had to be this one. Granted, he couldn’t tell shit when he first encountered her, but now...well, now it was different. She had a water bottle in her hand and the cigarette halfway burnt in the other, taking a ravenous chug before suddenly throwing the plastic thing at him.

The action was so unexpected that it hit him straight in the face and he lurched forward in an attempt to attack her, sharp teeth bared as he snarled, wildly fighting her restraints. Hot or not he was gonna fucking skin her alive. She met his scorching gaze with her own. “Who was with you in the forest? One of those mutts? Did they kill her? Of course they did, you filthy bastards only know how to kill, kids or not.” she hissed, taking a threatening step towards him. Her serene act was breaking at the seams.

His only reply was to give her that smug shit-eating grin, as if he knew something she didn’t and he mocked her for it. That riled her up fast. With purpose in her eyes, she marched to him and grabbed the chain of his leash, yanking him upwards to face her directly. The bitch thought he was intimidated?

heh.

In an instant, he jerked forward unexpectedly, coming closer by a few inches and opened his mouth wide, shark-like teeth a hair away from her face, before he clamped them down in a strong bite that resounded with a clank. That infuriated her, he could see the anger brewing in her eyes like a storm despite the action catching her off-guard. So, she had a weak spot for that kid she had with her when he found her? Now he could exploit that to the best of his abilities.

That’s when she grabbed him by the leash and slammed him against the hard wall of rock behind him, knocking the very breath out of him. “You think this is a game?!” --yes. This was a game. If she thought she could get anything from him, she was dead wrong. The leash bit into his cervical in a way that reminded him about the first time she did this, when his SOUL literally sang in delight and he could positively say she rattled his bones in the best way.

And how she straddled him. “fuck off.” the first thing he said since he woke up. Of course she wasn’t impressed and punched him hard enough to knock him back down. He laughed wholeheartedly at how frustrated she was getting already. Had it been more than ten minutes?

“soon as i’m outta these, i’m gonna rip ya to pieces.”

“It’s that confidence that got you tied in the first place, dipshit.” she smacked him right back with a retort. “that’s a promise, bitch. an’ i never make promises.”

“Is that supposed to worry me or something? Did you stop for a moment to look at your situation right now? Because I gotta hand it to you, buddy. You’re fucked.”

Heh, _fucked_.

“didn’t kill me yet, means ya need me.” that alone made her bristle. She didn’t rise up to the challenge, however, she just walked back to the fire, a bit clumsily from her injuries, if the slight limp was anything to go by. Her movement was strained, controlled, forced --that meant she was suffering and in pain from those ugly gashes. Silence once again fell over like a blanket on a hot day in Hotland. Suffocating. 

Though, now he couldn’t help but sweat up a storm just thinking about what his brother’s reaction would be if he even knew of his predicament.

Papyrus was gonna do more than just crack his skull open, that was for sure. Since he was promoted as the captain of the royal guard, his personality and his behavior only got worse and while Sans loved his brother and put him above anything and anyone else, it was exhausting and stressing, always stepping on eggshells when he was around. He didn’t want to disappoint him. But he did it anyway, didn’t he? Because that’s how useless and stupid he was. Good for nothing lazy bones, as his sibling would sometimes mutter disgustedly. It hurt that he could never meet the expectations. Not anymore. 

A gold tooth wouldn’t fix the damage he would take this time around if this ever got out. In a way he was glad that he told those dogs not to say a thing, if Papyrus came to find him or...find him like this, then that would --he didn’t even want to think about it.

Ten more minutes of anxious thoughts were enough to make him tired.

So he napped. It wasn’t like the huntress would try to kill him. She didn’t do it till now so what were the chances? _ZZzzzz._

ZZZzzzz

_Zzz_

_Zz_

 ...

_Clank clank._

“the fuck..--” _shit_ , he actually fell asleep. Shaking his head, Sans cussed himself mentally and looked out at the cave opening. It was light when he --how long did he even sleep? The darkness and the cold told him that it might have been a few hours.

He then looked towards the fire that was dimly illuminating the cave. Why was she putting her hunter suit on? Her languid moves, the solemnity of her expression, the sound of knife scraping against the sheaths of her harness. It looked as if she was getting ready to go take on a damn army. Those eyes of hers then settled over his figure, probably having noticed him shift.

But she didn’t say anything, she just returned to preparing herself, zipping up her suit and then pulling her gloves on, testing the flexibility by clenching and unclenching her hands.

“what’re ya doin’?” he wasn’t even spared a glance as she moved, bare feet on the cold rock floor. “where’ya goin’?” he tested the restraints again, a grunt slipping by his teeth.

“To the city.”

What? Did she have a death wish or something? “yer gonna die--” “I know. But I’m gonna take them all with me.”

“ya crazy,” he snorted, amused beyond belief. How did she think she could take on a whole city of monsters? “A bit. I am two. I am the second best hunter this piece of shit world has. I’ll be damned if I go out without fighting...and I’ll be damned if I don’t drag all of you down with me.”

A kamikaze sort of quest. A suicide mission from which she knew she wouldn’t return, but she was willing to die and she was going to --Papyrus’ face flashed through his mind. His brother was in the city. Stars, he was probably going to be one of the monsters to take her on given his position as the captain. Sans started sweating lightly, millions of scenarios painting themselves before his eyes.

“I’ll die a martyr. The world will not only hunt your kind.” she chuckled as she pulled one of her combat boots on “They will hunt each of you individually, burn this hell hole down with you all in it. I’m what keeps them from bombing you to kingdom come and how long can that barrier of yours last? Telling you, dipshit, this is gonna turn uglier than it already is…” she finished and pulled hard on the laces to make it as tight as possible.

“I think I’m gonna do them a favor because I’m probably gonna wipe out at least a good portion of monsters and then blow myself up before anyone can take my soul, maybe take some more of you with me.” she chuckled darkly, her pose coordinated and unsettlingly tranquil. As if she had made up her mind, made peace with her demons.

No, she was bluffing. She had to be bluffing. Humans cared too much about their lives.

“yea right.” his grin remained unchanged however, red pinpricks looking elsewhere as he called her out on the bullshit. “See? This is why my organization managed to kill so many of you. You just don’t get it. We were groomed to kill. We were taught from the moment our training started that the possibility of us dying on the field is at least 50% every time we go out there to fight.” at that, his eyes returned to her face, a deadly serenity in her demeanor.

As if she was talking about the weather. Except that she was talking about going to die.

“Because of you, I lost the kid, she’s dead by now, I know what you do to SOULS. My revenge...my revenge is that you live to see me take from you too.” she grinned wickedly at him, pulling the other boot on. “You take, I take. You kill, I kill. I’m gonna march in there and I’m gonna take and take and take and you will live, you will return there and --hah....I’m gonna leave a note on the pile of dust that belongs to Papyrus.” she shook her head, making no eye contact.

As if something snapped, he hurled himself towards her, falling on his ribcage from having his feet tied and no balance or stability. “you fucking bitch!” he roared and kicked, trying to reach his magic, to pull her apart limb by limb, to kill her and see her blood splattered on the floor. No matter how many times he got electrocuted, he still tried to crawl, to bite, to do something!

She only laughed.

“You act like a monster, I’m gonna treat you like one, you useless trash.”

How did she even know about Papyrus?! Another surge of electricity zapped him and his breathing turned labored, heaving and struggling. All she did was watch as she tied her laces, a smirk plastered on her lips. “You might wanna stop that or you’ll kill yourself before you get to see what I’ve done.”

As she stood up, he caught a glimpse of a grenade attached to the strap on her back. Then two -- _she was serious_. Panic flooded his senses as if he was drowning. He watched as she straightened up and turned towards the opening of the cave. He inhaled and exhaled fast, on the brink of --

no... _NO_.

“wait!”

She paused. “the kid’s alive! the kid’s gotta be alive a’ight? the fuckin’ queen! she gave the orders --if someone finds a kid they don’t kill it!” he hated how his tone sounded so desperate and raw, he hated how vulnerable he was in front of this human, all cockiness and confidence melting into nothing at the thought of his brother...his brother meeting such a fate. The one he always met during the kid’s genocidal runs in the Underground, the many times he would stumble upon that pile of dust in the snow.

That dreaded feeling.

Only now, there was no way to reset. The kid was dead. The world wouldn’t stop spinning anymore. If his brother died, he would be dead forever. “c’mon dollface--” he laughed nervously, a few droplets of sweat running down his skull as he looked up at her “ya can’t go there like that. the kid’s alive!” another string of nervous laughter “what good are ya gonna be dead, huh?”

Now she completely turned to look down at him, mistrust clear in her ice cold eyes.

“ya gotta be smart ‘bout this.” a tilt of her head, expression unreadable. This didn’t mean she was shooting him down completely. Fuck, he’s not felt hope slither up his old bones in a very long time, not like this. “look, i’m even gonna make ya a deal, a’ight?”

Interest. This was good. This was fine.

“i’m gonna help ya get the kid back. i’m gonna make sure ya get the kid and then help ya get outta here.”

Slowly, she walked closer to him, staring him down, his skull a few inches away from her boots. “Are you just saying that to fuck with me? To make me stop?” her voice was just as cold as her gaze. “Because you seem desperate enough to say just about anything.” she crouched down, grabbing his leash from behind and lifting him just enough to have him kneel up to eye-level.

“no...no, i’m tellin’ the truth!” her eyes shifted and she smirked bitterly “Oh? You monsters are capable of truth? I should definitely take your word for it.” at that he just felt the need to strangle her. Wrap his phalanges around that pretty little neck of hers and snap it.

“ya were there, where the slaves were kept yea? there were no kids in there. that’s cause she wants the kids for herself. she ain’t gonna let anyone near 'em.”

Her smirk disappeared and he watched with bated breath as she considered his words, her features remaining unreadable. Fuck, he really wished he could just pry and see her SOUL, get a feeling of what she’s thinking --”Very well. You’ve made your point. How can I trust your words, though?”

“i promise.”

“So? You think I’m just gonna buy that?” he felt anger boiling at her words. Did words hold no weight for humans, no meaning? Were they taking everything for granted? Of course these fuckers would. They honored nothing, that’s why they ended up here, that’s why they ended up Underground. 

“my promise s’all i can give ya.” his eyes looked into hers with as much seriousness as he could muster. “ ‘sides, ya got that shit on me. if i try ‘nything ya can just blow me up, yea?”

The fact that that meant more to her than his word, that made him angry beyond comprehension, but if that’s what it took, then he’d live with it and suck it up. A few moments of silence fell over them, moments in which he stared at her, holding his breath, when finally, she sighed and stood up.

Confused, he watched as she went to her tent, took something from inside and returned to the same spot, near him, plopping down and facing the opening of the cave.

It started raining again.

She fumbled with something and then placed a cigarette between her lips, using a lighter --his lighter. Wait, those were his cigarettes and that was his pack. “Sometimes you just gotta sit your ass down and smoke a cigarette in quiet contemplation.” she repeated the earlier statement she told him about, inhaling and exhaling the smoke in an elegant shape.

“But they just taste like shit.”

He relaxed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to kudos and review, love your feedback guys!


	6. i'm aiming for you and i won't stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update, had some school stuff to do!  
> anyway, here's the new chapter, longer too  
> this is mostly reader's pov on what went down, have fun!
> 
> songs to go with this : Mickey Valen - Wildcard (feat. Feli Ferraro) ; CAZZETTE - She Wants Me Dead (CAZZETTE vs. AronChupa)

_Fucking shit._

Apparently their huge ass barrier also had its own ecosystem. That spoke volumes to just how wide it spread and how high it had to be. The rain started just as you were dragging your backpack to the cave you found after you took that asshole down. Your wounds needed immediate checking, but adrenaline was still pumping strongly through your veins, giving you a bit more of a boost, bleeding or not. Then there was the echo of Ally’s scream that replayed in your mind over and over again.

Now you wish you’d have one of those injections that hunters had with them on missions that required their complete and utter focus throughout the span of a few days. An endless supply of energy, but the consequences afterwards were...well, bad. It made sense, what with the body being forced to the maximum of its capacity. Why were you even thinking of that in the first place? You had more pressing matters, such as a passed out monster in that same cave you were marching towards.

It wasn’t as if he was gonna wake up anytime soon,so you figured it was fine to go get your shit. As for the kid, you honestly didn’t know what you should do. Was she dead? You’ve seen what the monsters did to that other human girl when they found her. Did she meet the same fate? Your chest ached. It was foreign and weird and there was an urge to go out there blindly and try to find her.

But what if she wasn’t alive, your logical self continuously whispered. Then you would not only waste energy but risk dying, getting your own soul devoured and then it would all be over. Not to add that you would be disobeying a direct order to lay low and not engage unless engaged.

Did this count as engaged? It was just the skeleton thing that attacked you.

But shit, wasn’t it your fault she ran off and met her death in the first place? You told her to run, after all. You needed to get your priorities straight and you wouldn’t be able to do that in the damn rain knee-deep in mud, that was for sure.

When you reached the cave, you were already soaking wet and still bleeding. Exhaustion was slowly grasping at your limbs, making you feel heavier and the numbness finally melted away, leaving just the pain and stinging of your wounds in its place. First, you needed to get a fire started, get your clothes off to have them dry and set up the tent. Then take care of your wounds.

Now the tent was a challenge,because you kept wincing at every damn step, but you got it done and your wet clothes off, in the meantime you also ended up finding some rope and looking over the passed out monster by the cave mouth --well.

 _Hmmm_.

Might wanna restrain that good for nothing garbage. You’d rather drive a knife through him, but he might have important information and you needed him alive until you could get it all out of him. It wasn’t as if you were gonna get such an opportunity again, you already used that device and coming across another one of the powerful monsters was...well, it wasn’t going to end up in such a stroke of luck for you; following regulations it was then.

Maybe the others weren’t as arrogantly confident as this one.

You weren’t ashamed to admit that you only survived because he underestimated you. In fact, you were probably the same way and it infuriated you just how much he reminded you of yourself. Granted, you learned fast and he would probably end up doing the same, which is why you needed to be extra cautious. It didn’t help that he had the reputation he had.

Sans was always in charge of checking the captured humans when you were undercover as a servant to Grillby’s assistant. Basically, you were supposed to take food to the humans in cages, under close supervision nonetheless, but you always heard the names and the rumors. Lesser monsters and other human servants talked and gossip spread easily, especially when you made it your mission to know everything there was to know.

You even saw Papyrus once or twice, even Sans on a few occasions. Thankfully, they never saw you, not because you hid or anything, but because you were in disguise, always in disguise, looking as common as a stain on the wall, an easy face to forget, common traits, keeping your eyes down whenever they were around and behaving like it was expected of any servant, silent and overlooked.

It’s why he couldn’t remember you the moment he laid eyes on you.

But that was the whole idea of being undercover and in disguise. Quietly, you walked over to the fiend and crouched down, pushing him on the side so you could tie his wrists behind his back.

It was your fault. You became impatient and too sick to the stomach to continue this stupid charade of pretending to be a submissive broken human girl whose only purpose was to bow, say yes and accept what was happening, your pride didn’t allow it. You didn’t even understand why you were assigned to this mission, everyone in the hunter squads knew how impetuous you could get. Thus, you ended up fucking it all up a month before you were supposed to be done with the observation and move to the second phase.

Did they figure it out, though? You looked significantly different than the servant disguise you wore religiously, but it was clear that one of the servants suddenly vanished and instead, they had to deal with a hunter running rampant under their dome, having released the captured and knowing exactly where they were kept. Grillby would be smart enough to put two and two together, for sure. They were probably aware that a hunter breached their so close-knit community, maybe even appalled that it happened.

All this you had to figure once the sack of shit woke up. You tied up his feet too, make it harder for him to move around, then you started on the fire and patching yourself up.

A task that would’ve been easier with two extra hands.

If only the kid were around, god dammit. You ended up pouring antiseptic bottle over your wounds, clenching your jaw to stop from screeching as it burned. This was harder than it looked, you concluded bitterly. Usually, after missions, you would be patched up by medics assigned to squads, it looked easy when they did it, but your attempt at doing the same thing, mimicking it, was more or less a failure. A new sense of respect arose towards them, one you didn’t have when you used to come back with nasty gashes, broken limbs and an attitude.

Bandaging was done...it could be better, but you had no other options right now, so you stuck with your own handiwork. When you dragged the bitch to the cave, you made sure to search his jacket for anything that might aid him against you, but you only found a packet of cheap cigarettes and a lighter. And some mustard packets. Some crumbles too.

Disgustedly, you just took the smokes and the lighter, deciding you’d keep those for yourself.

Now it seemed a good time as any to try out your first cigarette. Some other hunters smoked before missions, saying it calmed them, one hunter in particular, who was in your squad, number eighty-six, if you recalled correctly. As you lit up one, perched down by the tent, you almost didn’t notice the sudden movement of the monster if it weren’t for the whine.

Well, time to get some shit done.

You stood up fast and walked over to him, leaning down slightly and grabbing his hoodie. For a monster, he wasn’t that heavy, but then again, you had trained with weight that doubled your own, so this was no big feat. Incredibly, he had some serious strength to him, packing a punch that most literally threw you off, if the bruise on your face was anything to go by. Dragging him closer to your tent, you stopped when you were satisfied with the few feet distance from there to him and finally threw him back against the rocky wall in a sitting position. That done, you made your way to the backpack and used it to sit down yourself while he gathered his bearings.

One long drag, while his red demon-like eyes ran over you.

What a disgusting piece of garbage. You blew the smoke in his direction, testing the way it and the nicotine felt on your tongue. Bad. Just like he looked. “Had a good sleep, you sack of shit?” you asked, not for the sake of curiosity but because you wanted to make it clear where he stood with you.

On that note, you flicked some ash on the ground.

The extremely faint crackle of the burning cigarette was the only sound that was heard, your eyes burning into him as you let that sink in. “I had this hunter comrade that once told me ‘sometimes you just gotta sit your ass down and smoke a cigarette in quiet contemplation’ --and he was right. It’s epiphanous.” every word calculated, carefully puzzled so you could see his reactions. Like any hunter out there, you were also trained in the art of calling out bullshit, equipped with a radar that could sense shit from a thousand feet. That is to say, you knew how to read someone even if they didn’t want to show much.

His face seemed malleable enough. For a skeleton. Jesus almighty, magic could do some crazy shit. You flicked the cigarette again and brought it to your lips, a sort of ‘lets drink to that’ but without the shot to help you cope.

His grin fucking got wider.

The fucking nerve this motherfucker had. You decided you wanted to carve that off. Literally. With a knife. “He got killed though, burned alive. Wasn’t that good anyway and I had better things to do than watch over those subpar twats that couldn’t even hold a knife to save their lives.” you blew the smoke out in his direction again.

And again, his eyes roamed over you. Probably looking at his handiwork. He must be fucking proud of himself. “That is to say, if I don’t give a shit about my comrades, I sure as fuck don’t give a shit about your life or the life of your pals.” you controlled your tone, feeling the rage just coiling around you like a boa. This time, you acted upon it.

You stood up and turned around to pick up a water bottle --but first, you took a big mouthful of the refreshing liquid, before you turned suddenly and threw it at him, smacking him right in his stupid ass face. Your patience was running thin and you weren’t in the mood for his damn games. Your ‘attack’ got him to lurch forward in a poor attempt at intimidation, shark teeth and all, but you weren’t gonna take that either, so you took a step closer, daring him to try more.

“Who was with you in the forest? One of those mutts? Did they kill her? Of course they did, you filthy bastards only know how to kill, kids or not.” you hissed with barely contained anger. If there was even a chance that the kid was alive, you had to know and the more time you wasted, the more unlikely the chances. And this asshole was trying to mess with you. Wasn’t he paying attention? He was tied up. At your mercy. He should be fucking terrified not acting like he won the Oscar.

Then he grinned that shit-eating grin, that smug, absolutely creepy ass mocking grin.

That was it.

This was it.

 _Fucking_ \---you went after him, yanked him up by his damn chain and glared with so much hatred in his eyes that if looks could kill he would be turning to dust in a second. But the bitch did the most unexpected thing, he got closer to you and opened that freaky Jaws mouth just an inch away from your face, before clamping it down as if challenging you?! What the actual fuck?!

You slammed him into the wall as hard as your strength could allow you at that very moment. “You think this is a game?!” and oh god, the frustration that you felt. This was important! You needed answers, you needed to know if the kid --if the kid..

“fuck off.” yeah, you were gonna kill him.

Breathe. Keep it together, you were better than this. Remember the regulations. Remember the training. After all, you had to deal with worse cases when it came down to interrogations. There were many ways you could torture him, because the physical one didn’t seem to do the trick. Actually, just looking at him, you were pretty sure he wouldn’t even flinch.

_Still._

You brought your hand back and punched him back down on his ass. Don’t raise to his challenge, he probably thought he would get the best of you, get you riled up, unfocused.

“soon as i’m outta these, i’m gonna rip ya to pieces.” and now he was getting all talkative. So much for focusing. “It’s that confidence that got you tied in the first place, dipshit.” you quickly bitchslapped him right back, pointing out his situation.

“that’s a promise, bitch. an’ i never make promises.”

Sarcastically, you were wondering of you should shake like a leaf, all while glancing unimpressed at his tied limbs. Was this guy even serious? “Is that supposed to worry me or something? Did you stop for a moment to look at your situation right now? Because I gotta hand it to you, buddy. You’re fucked.”

Wow, the audacity. How did he even see this as a proper moment to get sassy --“didn’t kill me yet, means ya need me.” oh boy, did he pick up on that so fast? You made sure not to make it obvious that you needed him for interrogation and you had half a mind telling you that you didn’t, just to show him he was wrong and you could dispose of him.

Time to walk away before you acted on impulse.

You turned your back to him, showing him just how much you took him seriously by not even seeing him as a threat, and then went back to your tent in order to get your brain busy.

Those knives needed sharpening.

 ...

When you came out of your tent, maybe half an hour later, the monster was asleep, twitching and making gross noises. This was a good time to start planning your next move, without his haunting eyes there to distract you.

Ok, so if physical stuff didn’t work, could you try psychological? There were things that one of your most admired mentors taught you when you were younger. All men, powerful or not, had a weakness and you just had to locate it.

You glanced at him thoughtfully.

Did he have someone he loved? A female...whatever he was? Nah. He looked too unkempt and disheveled and disgusting to attract anyone. Unless that female was as cringy as him. Shuddering, you tried to remember any information --

Wait.

How could you be so stupid? He didn’t even know that you knew about him, that you --a sly smile curled over your lips. His brother. Papyrus was his brother. Family counted as weakness, right? You could always put that theory to test.

If it didn’t work, well, at least you gave it a shot.

For the next few hours, you concocted the perfect plan, meant to fuck with this asshole in the best way possible.

You went for the hunter suit and then the harness, making as much noise as you could, from clanking with the knives to pulling your harness together, until you noticed his movement from your peripheral.

Good.

Game face on. You spared him one glance and then continued with the ‘preparations’, sliding knives into the sheaths of your harness, checking each little item with interest and for added effect, strapping three toy grenades at your back.

Those were actually meant for Ally, because someone couldn’t tell the difference unless they looked at them closely, so what you had planned was for the kid to have one and ‘use’ it in case she was alone and monsters came her way when you weren’t there. She laughed at the idea, but nodded her head excitedly that time. God, you felt like throwing a knife between his eyesockets just thinking about the little girl having a fate worse than death.

Concentrate.

Slowly, you zipped the suit up to your neck, before you took the gloves and slipped them on, testing their flexibility after having washed them. “what’re ya doin’?” finally, his attention was on her.

“where’ya goin’?”

Yes, chomp down on the bait. You proceeded with the plates, moving around, keeping your hands busy to seem extremely into it -- “To the city.” and gave him a flighty reply for the moment.

“yer gonna die--” he started “I know. But I’m gonna take them all with me.” but you interrupted him, not even looking his way as you adjusted your shoulder plates. Every move hurt like a bitch, it made your breathing a bit shallow, but that was something you weren’t going to show him. The slightest slip-up and he would know.

“ya crazy,” his snort only made you that more spiteful, it made you grit your teeth through the surge of pain striking you at every step and fueled your wrath to do more damage than you initially planned. “A bit. I am two. I am the second best hunter this piece of shit world has. I’ll be damned if I go out without fighting...and I’ll be damned if I don’t drag all of you down with me.”

That made him shut up.

The silence that followed let you know that he was thinking about it. His mind was already working, soaking in. “I’ll die a martyr. The world will not only hunt your kind.” you chuckled, not even looking at him as you pulled one of your combat boots on and started tying the laces. “They will hunt each of you individually, burn this hell hole down with you all in it. I’m what keeps them from bombing you to kingdom come and how long can that barrier of yours last? Telling you, dipshit, this is gonna turn uglier than it already is…” you continued to lie through your teeth.

Did he have to know the truth? Of course not. The thing was, you didn’t even think they were taking that scenario into consideration. There were still human slaves, but making yourself important to keeping the place safe for them to live, well that had to hit somewhere, plant the seed of doubt, drag him closer to the edge.

You finished with that boot, finally looking up at him and --was he sweating? Oh god, how disgusting. Ew. “I think I’m gonna do them a favor because I’m probably gonna wipe out at least a good portion of monsters and then blow myself up before anyone can take my soul, maybe take some more of you with me.” keep your game face on. This was harder than you anticipated, but was him sweating a good sign? That meant it was working, right? Usually sweating meant nervousness with humans, their palms, their foreheads, their necks. It all meant the same thing, but with monsters you never knew.

“yea right.” he was slowly cracking and he didn’t even know you knew. He was trying to call your bluff, trying to cling to every notion he knew and remain balanced. Man, what an idiot.

“See? This is why my organization managed to kill so many of you. You just don’t get it. We were groomed to kill. We were taught from the moment our training started that the possibility of us dying on the field is at least 50% every time we go out there to fight.” and you knew that with every word, you were crumbling the ground underneath his feet. Every word probably stung and made him nervous, made him reconsider, rethink his strategy. It strongly reminded you of chess, because that wasn’t just a boardgame, that was a mind game. You had to be ten steps ahead of your opponent at all times, try to foresee their moves and counteract them before they were even made.

This was exactly it and this loser was doing just that. Losing.

“Because of you, I lost the kid, she’s dead by now, I know what you do to SOULS. My revenge...my revenge is that you live to see me take from you too.” you pulled your other boot on, repeating the same action, grinning wickedly, enjoying yourself.

“You take, I take. You kill, I kill. I’m gonna march in there and I’m gonna take and take and take and you will live, you will return there and --hah....I’m gonna leave a note on the pile of dust that belongs to Papyrus.” crescendo, the punchline and the idea behind it all. If this didn’t get a reaction, then --“you fucking bitch!” he threw himself at her, wiggled and struggled and bit and roared.

Ohohoho. Gotcha.

You won and you couldn’t help the laugh that poured from your mouth, as if he just made the most hilarious joke in this world. It felt good. “You act like a monster, I’m gonna treat you like one, you useless trash.” he managed between cackles, watching with sadistic intrigue how his bones just rattled and shook from the currents running through him.

This was better than you expected.

“You might wanna stop that or you’ll kill yourself before you get to see what I’ve done.” or rather, die before you killed him yourself. This time, you stood straight, finished with your boots and turned towards the opening of the cave, intentionally giving him a glimpse of what rested at your back.

That must have sealed the deal. His breathing got so hard and fast, as if he was having a panic attack.

“wait!”

There was the desperation you were looking for. Now you knew you broke his resolve and now you knew he would become compliant, easy for you to manipulate in this state. Get some real answers. “the kid’s alive! the kid’s gotta be alive a’ight? the fuckin’ queen! she gave the orders --if someone finds a kid they don’t kill it!” but you didn’t expect him to just bark it all out like this.

Interest clearly piqued, you turned your head in his direction. “c’mon dollface--” leaving out the expletives? Already? What a piece of shit. “ya can’t go there like that. the kid’s alive!” now he was sweating profusely, looking up at you, almost begging you with his eyes. “what good are ya gonna be dead, huh?” oh, the fool.

But, there were more pressing matters to wonder about, so you turned to face him completely. “ya gotta be smart ‘bout this.” you tilted your head, tempted to raise an eyebrow, but not stopping him. Let him boil a bit, see what else he could say while he was still in this state.

“look, i’m even gonna make ya a deal, a’ight?” oh? Now you didn’t bother hide your interest, giving him your attention for once “i’m gonna help ya get the kid back. i’m gonna make sure ya get the kid and then help ya get outta here.”

Now this was unexpected. Was he this desperate? Did he care that much about the other pieces of trash? What a pleasant discovery. This information was getting stored for later. His brother was his weakness. Nevertheless, you walked towards him until your boots were inches away from his skull “Are you just saying that to fuck with me? To make me stop?” --you should know, there were many a times when someone would say anything to get away.

“Because you seem desperate enough to say just about anything.” you crouched and grabbed him by the back of his leash, hoisting him up on his kneecaps so you could look him in the eye.

“no...no, i’m tellin’ the truth!” yeah yeah, you heard all that before. “Oh? You monsters are capable of truth? I should definitely take your word for it.” you smirked in his face, noticing the flash change of his eyes, how they turned predatory for just a second. Hah, this guy hated your guts.

“ya were there, where the slaves were kept yea? there were no kids in there. that’s cause she wants the kids for herself. she ain’t gonna let anyone near 'em.” this time, you let your smirk vanish as you thought about it seriously. Where they kept the ‘slaves’ there were no children, only adult males and females, so in that he was right.

The queen, Toriel, as her name was whispered among the servants and monsters was indeed deranged, having gone cuckoo from losing her children, the prince and a human that she adopted in the long gone past. At least, that’s the story that went with her name and the only one everyone knew.

Was she capable of doing this? Yes. That was the truth of the matter.

”Very well. You’ve made your point. How can I trust your words, though?”

“i promise.” pfft. Right. Been there, done that. “So? You think I’m just gonna buy that?” --again, that bloodlust look in his eye. That was a good look on him, because that made you wanna bitchslap him back in his place again. “my promise s’all i can give ya.” he got a star for trying at least “ ‘sides, ya got that shit on me. if i try ‘nything ya can just blow me up, yea?” --yeah, that worked just as well.

The stupid had a valid point. Did he know it was temporary? Probably best he would never find out. This is why you needed to hurry, because the device would keep him subdued and nice for three more days. It didn’t exactly run on endless energy, so you had to take this or leave it.  
Oh boy, you were gonna regret this, you just knew it.

You sighed and stood up. That was that then. It was clear what needed to be done and the fact that the kid was maybe trapped with some crazy ass boss monster --yeah, it was bad. It was hella bad.

Getting inside the tent, you fumbled around until you found the pack of cigarettes and his lighter on the sleeping bag, making sure to also leave the toy grenades behind in case he would be able to get a closer look and realize you’ve been fucking with him. After a few seconds, you came back out with the two items and waltzed right back to your previous spot, near the monster.

It started raining again. Great. Now the terrain would be harder to traverse.

Plopping your ass down in the dirt, you took a cigarette and stuck it between your lips before using his lighter to start the smoking process again. You took a long drag, the taste bad and rotten on your tongue. “Sometimes you just gotta sit your ass down and smoke a cigarette in quiet contemplation.” maybe this would give him the answer he was searching for on your face. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of saying ‘yes’. He would take what he wanted from that statement.

A long elegant shape of smoke was exhaled out shortly after. “But they just taste like shit.”

The night would be long, because you couldn’t just leave him out of your sight --not that he could do much, but it was your instincts just screaming through your every fiber. Therefore, you ended up taking very short naps, propped against the rocky wall across from him, hand comfortably on the butcher knife at your side.

Tomorrow you would start your trek, praying to god that Ally was alive and well.

But first, you needed a plan. And a plan to your plan.

Was this your life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to kudos and review if you liked it!  
> I love hearing from you all~


	7. tag, you're it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapters might get a bit shorter from now on  
> but i updated on time! yes~ okay okay, so lemme tell you guys that i figured out where this story will be going  
> so now there is an endgame to this! thank you all for the support!
> 
> songs to go with this : Troye Sivan - FOOLS ; Hippie Sabotage - Devil Eyes

“okay okay, got a better one. why did the one-armed man cross the road?”

... _what_ have you signed up for? This was continuous torture and you didn’t know how long you could handle this before you stuck a knife through him. Your silence didn’t deter him from spilling out puns and jokes that made you simply cringe, no, he continued on, took your silence for approval for some fucked up reason.

“to get to the second hand shop.” he cackled darkly at his own joke, while you just glanced back at him with your brows drawn together in a ‘wtf is wrong with you’ sort of way. Since the crack ass of dawn when you started moving, he’s just been on a roll.

Nevermind the fact that you dragged him by a rope connected to his leash chain, he didn’t mind that, but how could he be so merry about this whole thing? It was beyond you. Did he take this thing, this...you taking his deal as a truce or something?

Did he have some ulterior motives? Of course he did. All monsters did.

“More walking and less yapping.” you grumbled under your breath, yanking for good measure. You had no time to spare on this and the fact that your wounds constantly needed you to be cautious with every move, was even more wasted time. If you had been in top shape, you would’ve been able to move unhindered, get things done fast and be out by the end of tomorrow.

But no, that would’ve been too easy.

“tough crowd.” no shit. He couldn’t see the overly dramatic eye roll you just pulled off, but you just couldn’t hold it in any longer. This guy did not take the hint. “Just move, dipshit.”

“back at it again with the name-callin’ dollface? i mean, i’m into the whole dirty talk--” “Just shut up!” this time you stopped, flinching when you had to hold your weight on one of the injured legs, just to turn to glare at him. Ugh, it’s been at least five to six hours and now it was a good time as any to stop and check your state, clean the wounds and replace the bandages.

His grin only made you grunt and turn back around, your hand patting around for the map at your back. As soon as you had that in your hands, you looked around for --oh, this is around where you and Ally first set camp. Biting your lower lip, you decided to shove that away for now, her life depended on it.

“takin’ a break?” the monster behind you asked, trying to act all buddy-buddy. This whole thing, his constant ‘friendly’ shit he had going on, it was grating on your nerves, slowly. You didn’t even grace that with an answer, you just lowered your ass down on a muddy rock and unfolded the map as a way to let him know you weren’t gonna play with him.

Apparently that was lost on him, because he took that opportunity to sit with you, his back touching yours. “heh, a’ight. i have one for ya. man is asked at the hospital: how tall are you?” -- _UGH_. You pushed your body forward a bit, already disgusted with his blatant disrespect and oh god, the audacity of just straight up touching you. Well, he wasn’t exactly touching you, his black jacket with faux furred hoodie was and it was tickling the back of your neck --well, you just didn’t appreciate this shit. “the man says ‘5'8’’, doctor.’” he chuckles in that creepy uncle sort of way “i’m very sorry, but i’m not the doctor. i’m the carpenter.” --what the fuck?

You cringed so bad at that that you could swear he could feel it. Who dropped this weirdo on his head when he was a baby? Jesus almighty. He followed that morbid joke with a wholehearted laugh, as if it was the best one so far.

This monster had serious issues. Thank heavens you were gonna kill this freak as soon as you had the kid and the barrier down.

Clearing your throat, you resume your previous task of checking the map. You need a good spot to hide and clean your wounds and the sun was going to start setting by the time you would be done, maybe get some food in your stomach since it was obvious this was gonna be where you stopped for today.

If you were correct, you had to be by that stream you found with Ally. That water would do your muscles some good, maybe scrub away some of the dirt and sweat from your body too. “think ya lack a funny _bone_.”

God no.

You stood up faster than you should have, the nasty bruise on your back throbbing like a bitch, but you sucked it up and straightened up. “guess we’re movin’ then. good talk.” --breathe, fucking breathe. Even the fact that he existed was annoying to you now.

Thankfully, the rest of the way to the stream was quiet, even when you stopped a few times to find your way around the thick forest and pinpoint your location. He didn’t even have to say anything, his grin hitching higher and the sadistic mirth in his eyes was enough to tell you what he was thinking, but as soon as you’d glare at him, he would just look elsewhere.

As a result of your passive-aggressive demeanor, you yanked harder, dragged him through less friendly paths and making sure he had a bad time following you, underlining the fact that he was not on par with you, not even at walking. There was just something in you that wanted to prove to him that you were superior as a species, better, faster, smarter. That need to put him back into his place as soon as he even raised his head above the water. The fact that he was taking this so lightly only provoked you further.

As soon as you reached the stream, you tied him to higher branch from a tree, using the rope that you connected to his chain, enough to give him some leverage with his movements. Sitting down was possible, of course, but if he tried to lay down, it would be straining. Practically, you leashed him like a dog and left him there while you did your thing, ignoring his offended noises altogether.

...

In an hour, you had the tent set up and you were arranging the items you needed from the medkit, before you got all clean.

“so ya don’t like jokes, huh?”

Why was he insisting on small talk with you? “I do like jokes. Good ones.” you muttered as you set the bandage roll aside with the antiseptic.

“well, ya know what they say ‘bout black humor.” a groan left your lips as you stood up, proceeding to take off your boots and plates of your hunter costume. “No. I don’t.”

He chuckled gruffly and you could feel his creepy fucking stare on you.

“it’s a lot like food really. _not everyone gets it_.” oh wow. You paused your movements just to give him a long blank stare. “You’re messed up.” concluding that, your fingers started working on your harness this time, snapping it off and throwing it inside the tent. His leash wouldn’t allow him to get close enough to it.

Some shifting made you look up from fumbling with the suit’s zipper. He sat down, red pinpricks locked on you. “and ya act like ya ain’t.” _excuse_ him? Your eyes narrowed on him, but you decided you wouldn’t raise to the challenge, so you returned to the current problem.

Taking off the suit without messing with the loose bandages and patch up work you did.

The zipper went down and then you slowly started peeling the material off your shoulders, stopping for a few seconds so that the pain would dull, before continuing. Did it bother you getting naked in front of that piece of shit?

Frankly, no. He was all bones, first of all and second of all, you were used to being undressed or showering with other people. Training as a hunter was a lot like the military, but learning to fight a different enemy, more or less. Perhaps not as strict, you were a force of your own, a completely different branch, but with the same regulations and expectations.

Naturally, getting all shy and stupid whenever a doctor had to patch you up from head to toe was just that, stupid. A skeleton monster was like undressing in front of a desk lamp. _Unimportant_.

When the suit was down to your ankles, you gently pulled your feet out and checked the visible wounds, palpating, seeing if there was any sign of infection and testing if you could go on harder. Of course you couldn’t. That was frustrating.

Undergarments were next on the off list and before you knew it, you were inching closer to the stream, your feet the first bits to come into contact with the cold water. You didn’t even react to the sudden change in temperature, you could withstand worse conditions, after all. The further you went, the more of your body was encased, until you found a decent and stable looking rock, where you sat on.

From there, you simply cupped water in your hands and let it pour over your flesh, washing away the dirt and the dried blood around certain areas. First you scrubbed and maybe after you could take a dip to rinse out your hair too. For no reason at all, your gaze settled on the monster across the stream from you, where you set your tent. He was fixed on you, whole body looking stiff, staring and sweating like a pig. What a disgusting creature.

The moment you were done with your whole body, you slid down from the rock and slipped into the water, lowering yourself as you hit a deeper portion, until your toes couldn’t reach the ground any longer and you sunk under, breaking surface only when you were sure you couldn’t keep your breath anymore.

Three more dips and you were stepping out, reaching inside your tent and getting the blanket you prepared to wrap around your body for warmth. “feelin’ _refreshed_ , dollface?” could he not ruin this for you? And why did he sound so choked and strained? Looking back at him, you noticed he was shifting awkwardly, tense and...still sweating.

_Ew._

Without saying anything to him, you crawled inside the tent and took advantage of the setting rays of sun to find some undergarments in the rucksack and get those on before you came out again to start on the wounds.

You used the same blanket to settle on outside the tent so you could see better and have more space, bringing the items you got ready as well, bandages and antiseptic. “i’m told i’m a cunning linguist but it don’t seem to work on ya.”

Your face paled. What?

You turned your head towards him so fast you could swear you’d get whiplash. Oh god, how...was he actually throwing sexual innuendos your way? Your mouth opened, but nothing came out. You were just at a loss of words. What were you even supposed to say to that?

He grinned wider, eye-light getting dimmer and his voice dropping lower. “if i said ya got a hot body, would ya hold it against me?” color completely drained from your face.

“What is _wrong_ with you?”

That was the only question that you could come up with. “just tryina _lighten_ the atmosphere,” he shrugged as if it was nothing.

“Fucking stop!” now you were riled up and he knew it. “What the fuck is wrong with you? I’m a hunter, did you happen to skip that part? Stop trying to be all friendly, stop pretending you’re fine with this! This is not fine!” you roared at him, outraged by this whole thing. He was _not_ supposed to be fine with this, damnit!

“We’re enemies. You just happen to be useful to me, you’re my hostage. I can kill you anytime I fucking want. Whatever the fuck you’re playing at, stop it. It’s not working! Your jokes suck and you suck and I absolutely loathe your kind!” you took a hungry gulp of air, fire in your eyes and breathing just a bit harder “I know you, I know that the first opportunity you get, you will fucking kill me without thinking twice. That’s how you are. That’s how you all are. Savage pieces of shit, ready to kill and maim without even being provoked. It’s never enough bloodshed.”

Angrily, you looked away and fiddled with the antiseptic, pouring some on some bunched up bandages to dab your wounds with. “Never enough dead humans, never enough blood on your hands, never enough battles. You just take and take and take until you have nothing else to take but the lives of the innocent. Half a fucking city butchered like animals. Given no chance to surrender, no nothing. Did you make jokes then? Was it funny when you slayed innocents and devoured their souls?”

The gashes stung like a bitch as soon as the antiseptic was added to the red and bloody flesh, but you didn’t even flinch, you just worked on each little scratch and bruise, each stab and ripping of skin like it wasn’t even your body.

“heh.”

There it was. _Your confirmation_.

“touche. let’s not forget who started this whole thing, a’ight dollface?” when you looked up at him from bandaging your knuckles, you froze. His eyelights were completely gone, empty black eyesockets in their stead, like staring into a void.

“don’t mean we can’t have a _great_ time together, yea?” you blinked and his eyes were back to normal, a chill running down your spine. What the fuck was that? There was rage burning through your veins at how audacious he was. As if a war that happened eons ago was reason enough to kill hundreds and thousands of innocent people as soon as they came to the surface.

“If that helps you sleep better at night.”

Your tone was cold as ice, gaze lowering back to focus on your wounds. He went eerily quiet after that last quip and you were thankful for the silence, uncomfortable as it was.

...

  
The night sky was clear once again and the stars looked as breathtaking as that one time you and Ally had seen them. If this was the universe mocking you, then you wanted nothing to do with it because this was a very sick sense of humor.

Absentmindedly, while you ate your can of sweet corn, you somehow ended glancing at the monster and --oh, he was staring up at the sky too. There was...this expression of awe on his face. His back was leaned on the trunk of the tree he was tied to, but that didn’t bother him, or at least it seemed like he wasn’t bothered. Regardless, it was that expression, completely different from how you’ve seen him lately, that really caught you off guard.

Could a creature like that even encompass the feeling of awe? He was intelligent, he held that in his eyes, but...he was a monster. Monsters weren’t capable of--

“i know i ain’t a grocery item, but i can tell when yer checkin’ me out.” and your eyes locked together, yours in surprise at being caught staring and his in satisfied smugness.

Ugh. Ew.

You glared back into your can of sweet corn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and review if you liked it!  
> love hearing from you guys


	8. it's like i'm playing to lose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeey there~ sorry for the longer wait  
> this is chapter 8, ayyyy, and i gotta warn you all, throughout this chapter, i switch between povs  
> thought it would make...things a bit more dynamic?   
> umm, idk how to feel about this chapter, but after a few edits...yeah, i decided to post it as it is  
> thank you all for the support and I love reading your comments, they make me smile and inspire me!
> 
> songs to go with this : Lemaitre - Playing To Lose feat. Stanaj (Mazde Remix) ; Panic! At The Disco: The Good, The Bad and The Dirty

Usually you napped without problems, staying vigilant but able to rest your body, however, this night you just tossed and turned like a storm, all over the tent, until you finally closed your eyes. It seemed that the problems clouding your mind just wouldn’t give you peace, not until you were exhausted physically and mentally.

Regardless, when you woke up, it felt like you didn’t even sleep. The chirping of the birds the only available alarm that stirred you from the wannabe slumber. Groggy, annoyed and tired was a combination you didn’t know you could pull off, not in this situation.

So you grabbed the blanket and crawled out into the morning cold with a resting bitch face.

“mornin’ dollface.”

“Fuck you.” dragging your feet, you didn’t even bother to look at the monster as you slowly stumbled to the stream, pulling the blanket around you tighter. When did it get so cold? Yeah, autumn was on your ass, but still. Then again, this was a forest and you were mid-way up a mountain, it could explain the chilling air. “someone’s got a stick up their ass.”

Sleeping without Ally was a challenge, because you got used to it and when you didn’t feel her small body into your side, you panicked until you remembered what happened and what your mission was. Then you would stare at the tent’s roof for an hour and contemplate and think and plan and plot. Was she okay? Was she well-fed? Could she sleep? The poor kid was probably crying, probably scared and alone and lost.

You splashed water over your face and rubbed your cheeks in an attempt of getting it together. Had to stay focused, keep your eyes on the prize. Of course, that was harder when you had to figure a way to get to that prize, but -- _ugh_. This just went ass-up faster than you could blink.. _.again_. For some reason you were only good at screwing up lately.

Maybe this was why your father never contacted you or why One stopped it altogether.

Maybe they were disappointed...or embarrassed, appalled at you having been compromised. One of their best field agents --you had to stop before you became rash again. Remember the training and remember the regulations.

For a few quiet moments, you remained crouched by the stream, water droplets sliding down your face and neck, the cold biting at the wet skin. There were few moments in your life when you felt lost and one of them was when you were a child, Otherwise, there were always orders that you had to follow, rules, codes, someone to look at for guidance and now you had none of those, just some vague orders to not engage.

Did this mean that you were going to disobey the orders? If you went after Ally, you would have to engage, there was no going around it. This is why forming attachments was a big no-no for the hunters, because there were situations when you had to leave someone behind, make cold hard decisions instead of listening to your heart. It’s why you never had a problem with leaving inconveniences behind, but now --you glanced up at the greying sky, now you just couldn’t stop thinking about it and it fucking ached.

On one hand, you were sure that you needed to forget about the kid and kill this monster, do what you were expected to do. On the other hand, you wanted to go save the kid, maybe free the slaves, find a way to bring down the barrier so you could all escape, keep this monster alive for leverage, use him.

“ _fowl_ weather we havin’ huh?” his voice snapped you out of your conflicting thoughts and you didn’t even realize you had zoned out until that gruff-spoken pun. Grunting, you stood up straight and went back inside the tent. It was time to get dressed, pack and start moving again.

In fact, if you calculated right, by nightfall, you would be able to reach the base of the mountain. If you wouldn’t have had the injuries, maybe you would have been able to reach the outskirts of the city, but now you had to take this into account as well. Then again, maybe it was best to abandon the heavy items like the tent and the sleeping bags, take only the necessities, like the first aid kit, the flashlight, food, the blanket and the toy grenades to be sure.

With that in mind, you started on that, leaving the tent with an incredibly light backpack. Your body felt incredibly sore so the loss of extra weight was a blessing. When Sans saw you come out, all dressed up and ready, his eyes kind of lit up, that or it was just your imagination.

Nevertheless, you kept a blank face on as you marched towards him and climbed the hard bark of the tree to untie his rope from the branch you had attached him to. Even that kind of effort was a nuisance, but what needed to be done needed to be done.

So now you had him by the rope and without any more words, you yanked him after you. “ya--” “One fucking joke and so help me god, I will rip your arm off and beat you with it until you turn to dust.”

 ...

She was smarter than he gave her credit. That was something he needed to keep in mind at all times. No matter how much she intrigued him and no matter how much he liked it when she tugged him around or how she made his SOUL thump every time she locked eyes with him.

Fucking stars, _what was wrong with him?_

She even tied him to a fucking tree and he had no qualms...not when, well, not when he had the opportunity to drink her all in, like the most delicious piece of monster candy he ever ate or the best mustard in the whole world. Papyrus was gonna dust him this time, he was sure.

But her eyes under the starry sky.

_Thump._

Shit. _He was fucked_.

There was no way he could get under her skin, but he wanted to. All over her skin and then --then what? There was only one way to redeem himself, to make everyone look at him with respect and praise and have boss impressed. And that was if he could bring her in himself.

But he made a promise.

No, his promise meant _jack_ to her, so did that enable him to break it? He was a monster after all and looking between Papyrus and her, his choice was clear. From the moment his baby brother was brought into the world, his choices were clear, no matter how….mangled their relationship grew to be, no matter the harsh words and the beatings, he was still his little brother.

Just think about it, he entertained with a wicked grin. Bringing a hunter, of their own volition, back to the City. Alive, ripe for the taking. That way, he would grow in everyone’s eyes, he would have their fear and acknowledgment. He wasn’t gonna be just Papyrus’ dumb and lazy brother, nah, he would be Sans. He would be Sans again, like the old times, when he had to kill and fend and all the monsters were afraid of his wrath.

Until Papyrus grew up and...did that in front of everyone. When he cracked his skull and showed everyone his prowess, humiliated, defeated him to prove all that he was the stronger of the two. After that, Sans remained in his shadow, satisfied with just being there, falling into a self-deprecating routine that became his life Underground.

Sure, there were times when it got really bad, but he would never raise against Papyrus. _Never_. No matter what.

And perhaps this was the best way to get in his good graces. Show him that he hadn’t lost his touch. Hell, that was the plan from the start, but he ended up like this, yet he learned important facts about the hunters and now everything was at his disposal, it was like he had the perfect cards in his hands but he had to be smart with how to use them.

Oh, stars, and the way her ass looked from behind. “gonna be kinda _cheeky_ , dollface, _butt_ i gotta say, ya have some nice _buns_ \--” he didn’t get to finish his statement before she turned around abruptly and slapped a hand over his mouth.

“ _Shhh._ ”

Then she remained still, frozen, her body stiff and he had to admit, not even his senses were as sharp as hers. Pools of ice blue darted around their surroundings and he watched them move with so much calculative precision that it was mesmerizing. After a few seconds, her hand slowly fell from his mouth and she wiped it on her pants. His red pinpricks flared at the gesture, as if the mere action of touching him was disgusting.

“Don’t talk. Move.” she ordered in a hushed voice, promptly moving from his body and continuing through the brush with cautious and silent steps.

...

  
You could swear you heard something, not quite human but not animal either. Instincts sharpened, you slowed down your trek, straining to hear everything and keep your footsteps stealthy.

A few moments later, you found tracks in the mid from the morning dew and the rain that poured recently. There were dry patches, where the sun rays managed to get through the dense tops of the trees, but most of the ground was wet. Luckily, you made it your mission to step on dry or overly green patches to avoid leaving your own prints. Sans’ didn’t matter, it was better for anyone to know that there was only one person roaming these areas. It gave you an advantage.

Rustling.

You perked up in a very canine-like fashion and held your breath, muscles tense. There was something around the forest and it was near your location. Not close enough to pose a threat just yet, but close enough to make you start thinking of a plan.

The skeleton monster was probably not giving you two away only because he wasn’t certain who was wandering around. At least you could trust that. Quickly, you crouched, the dipshit doing the same behind you, much to your relief. Granted, you also took this opportunity to look at the tracks in the mud furtively, not long enough to tip your ‘companion’ off in case they were a monster’s.

Lo and behold, those were paw marks. Canine, too big for a wolf. Monster mutts again. Shit. Their sense of smell was too good to be deceived easily, but if you stayed in one spot, the chances of being found were rising. Without explanation, you took one handful of mud and started coating your hunter outfit in thick layers, even your neck and then some strips on your face, before you took another handful and slathered it all over the skeleton’s face.

He gurgled at the sudden mud getting in his mouth while you grabbed another handful and did the same to his hoodie. “what the fuck are ya doing ya crazy bi--” you cut him off again, one dirty hand over his mouth and a finger to your lips, telling him to shut up.

_Crackle._

Shit. They were closer than you anticipated. The footfalls were...one, two, three, four... _five_ mutts? Head turning in that general direction, you felt dread coiling in your belly. Fight or flight? You were in no condition to take on five of them, not if you couldn’t use your flexibility at its maximum and the terrain to your heart’s desire. In this state, they would end up capturing you. This was no matter of pride, you had to be smart about it.

In a rush, you yanked the monster to you, his bones slamming into your body as you pressed against the trunk of a thick tree and remained crouched, his skull incredibly close to your face. Your hand was over his mouth to keep him silent, chain and rope rolled over your hand several times to keep him close to you even if forcefully.

Pale blues mirrored blood reds as you stared into each other’s eyes and you could swear there was an intensity to his that you were not ready for. His ribcage was digging into your chest and your breathing was so light it almost seemed like you weren’t even doing it.

What was this...weird feeling inside your chest?

 ...

Monster dogs, they were scoping the forest. It must have been because they found the human kid running around that they thought there had to be more. It made sense. That, or they were searching for him on orders from Dogamy or Doggo. Regardless of the reason, he could not allow anyone to see him like this. No way in fucking hell was he gonna be caught in this position.

The mud was drying disgustingly over his bones and he cringed as he looked over at the huntress, how she stood straighter, like a predator or some shit. Nevertheless, he didn’t expect what came next. His body was slammed against hers and she was pressed on the tree trunk they were hiding behind.

_Thump._

He didn’t even get the chance to realize what was happening, because her eyes captured his with determination and intent. Why the fuck couldn’t he look away? _Shit_ , he mentally cussed at how her body felt against his, how the leash bit into his bones and how fucking hot he felt all of a sudden. _Fuck_ , the mutts were approaching. Yet, he found himself not giving a damn at this moment. Not now.

_Thump._ Not yet.

He forgot how to think and breathe properly. His SOUL was thrumming in ravenous desire, reaching out to hers, he leaned even closer, eyelids drooping half-way and red pinpricks almost fading in shameless need.

Yes.

_Thump_.

Yes.This was perfect. It felt so outlandish and nice.

Did she feel it too? She was breathing heavily against him, her heart beating faster against his ribcage and even with mud of her face, she looked _absolutely_ \--”Two, do you receive? This is One. I repeat, this is One.” the radio-like sound made everything fall into a deadly silence. The footfalls stopped not far from them, their bodies froze and both of them stared wide-eyed at the other. Then there was static, coming from her harness’ side.

_Shit._

Snarls and howls permeated the air, so close to them that he could already pinpoint their location and he solemnly swore that he was not gonna be seen like this. Without even thinking, he grabbed her arm and hoisted her up harshly. “fuckin’ run.” was all he needed to say, because she sprang into action in just a second, instincts kicking in. The rucksack dropped to the forest floor and they scampered.

Neither of them realized how they were holding hands as they leaped over fallen logs and roots, running through the dense brush and tree trunks, twigs and branches brushing past them and their breathing heavy in their ears. Sans had no damn stamina when it came to physical effort of this caliber, so when he slowed down, she yanked on his arm with purpose, dragging him along in zig-zag motions.

The padding and crunches behind them was enough to let him know the mutts were hot on their tail. It didn’t take a scientist to know that eventually they would catch up. Panting and wheezing, the skeleton glanced back and then forward, the huntress’ hair like flowing black silk in contrast to the greenery around them that passed them so fast.

“get that shit offa’me!” he managed through gulps of air. He wouldn’t last longer, not without his magic. She needed to see this! They wouldn’t get her. He wouldn’t allow them to take away his only opportunity!

...

  
“No!” there was no way in hell you were going to get the device off of him. How stupid did he think you were? Was this why he was doing this, why he was running with you from his own kind? Of course he had his own agenda, he was a fucking monster! You didn’t even know why you even had expectations. “we ain’t got no chance like this ya stubborn--”

“I said _no_!”

You jumped over some roots, glancing back to him as you took a blind sharp turn, just to glare in his eyes. That had to be your biggest mistake. The feeling of falling was...indescribable, but as soon as your foot missed stable ground, you just fucking knew there was no way to fix this. As if everything moved in slow motion, you scrambled, flapped your arms, held tighter on the phalanges as the only anchor available.

And then you hit solid ground. Solid rocky ground. When you fell, you dragged the monster with you, a perverse satisfaction coursing through you for a fleeting second. At least if you went down, you would drag him down with you.

Then, you shut your eyes tightly and tumbled down, hitting rocks and slamming into a trunk, but not enough to stop your fall, because your body twisted on impact and you continued on your way down, the skeleton going through the same treatment a second after you.

The whole world was spinning, your body felt numb and you could hear your heartbeat in your ears, that and the groans from the monster as you two rolled down the precipice, his body eventually colliding with yours in a tangle of pain, limbs and blurry shapes.

You didn’t know what was happening anymore, but when your head hit something hard enough to knock you out cold, you just had a feeling that the universe was just pitted against you.

There was no way bad luck kept hounding you like this unless it had something to do with the celestial.

“ _Two! Two, do you copy --_ ” _Crunch_. Fuck this.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos if you liked it  
> lemme know what you think through a review! love hearing your feedback~


	9. she's got horns like the devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit, sorry for such a long wait, guys! I was on vacation for a few weeks and yeah  
> but here I am with a decently sized chapter to try and make up for my absence, so please enjoy!
> 
> songs to go with this : Aanysa x Snakehips - Burn Break Crash, Unlike Pluto - Sweet (feat. Mister Blonde)

_Crack_

Their fall had finally been stopped after at least five more tumbles of tangled bones and flesh, straight into a boulder. Luckily, or well, to some degree if he looked at the advantage it posed, Sans remained awake throughout the ordeal, but by the limp body of the huntress underneath him, he was sure she didn’t have the same fortune.

He groaned and cursed under his breath, until he heard the distant howling. Right, those fucking mutts were still after them. However, judging by the dirt, leaves and mud on their bodies, their scent would have likely faded, not to add the fall.

Unless she was bleeding.

Grunting, he lifted himself off of her and fell on his ass, his pinpricks regarding her closely as he grumbled to himself and scratched his arm, testing the bone in case he didn’t feel the breakage. If the smear of blood on the ground was anything to go by, then his assumptions were right.

That gave the hounds a scent to follow and that was not good. If he would’ve had his magic again, then this would be an easy task, but he didn’t and the only person that could give that back to him was the human.

Time to think fast.

Huffing, he stood up and not so gracefully pulled the huntress up, her head lolling back and exposing her throat to him. The lack of response in her body was disturbing, especially with how malleable she felt in his arms. Like she was dead. That’s how human corpses felt like, he should know because he disposed of enough. Mostly radicals that his brother took care of.

_“Two! Two, do you copy --”_ Sans glared down at the earpiece fallen not too far away, before he stomped on it bitterly, crunching it underneath his red sneaker. Two wasn’t gonna answer that fella. No matter, he inhaled sharply and hauled her body up vertically, twisting her around his shoulders like a sack of potatoes, before giving her ass a smack. “atta girl.” and then resting one hand over the back of her knees and the other behind her neck for better leverage.

Now to trick those mutts and get out of the shit they were in.

...

  
Night found them in a rundown cabin on the other side of the river, deep into the forest and hidden well by the dense brush and thick trees. Poison ivy lined the sides and covered it like some kind of protective wall. It was one of the places only he knew of and traversing the river definitely cut off their scents, so now he could take a breather without worrying about the monster dogs at their heels.

Just to be safe, he rounded the perimeter twice, more for his own benefit. Over the years, Sans learned that paranoia was his friend and that his instincts should be listened to whenever he felt that familiar tingle down his spine. Kept him alive and well.

Then, his attention was focused solely on the human draped over the old dusty mattress in the middle of the cabin. She was sprawled on her back with her arms raised up and legs bent awkwardly from when he dropped her there.

Most of all, she looked dead. If it weren’t for the faint breath that passed through her nostrils or the light movement of her chest when her lungs took in air, then he would have surely believed she was done for.

Red pinpricks roamed over her body with a clinical sort of observational way, no longer ruled by the throbbing of his SOUL, but by a rational side he had lost a very long time ago. The truth of the matter was that he wasn’t exactly new to a human’s anatomy, not when he had to crush seven of them for King Asgore, or clean the mess left by Papyrus and Undyne, not to add the failed experiments of Alphys. Thus, he was able to figure out relatively fast that she had broken ribs and the back of her head had been busted. The bad news was that her bag had been lost during the run-in, the good news was that he knew how to patch up shit.

It would have been easy to just let her rot behind. Save himself and be done with, maybe even pretend like he captured her and bring her in, but then there was the device tightly clutched on his spine, rendering his magic useless and she was the only one able to get rid of it and the only leverage the monsters had over the hunters. 

How embarrassing would it be to go back without magic. Surely, they were gonna kill her or lock her up and then what about the device? It would be stuck to him for the rest of his life, because he was pretty sure she would take the password to the grave out of spite. Besides, he needed to gain her trust and what better way to do that than to nurse her back to health, right? He already ran off when she did and didn't leave her behind, so that had to count for something. If he got some rutting out of it, then that was a bonus.

First, the head wound. Thinking was for later.

 

* * *

 

_Poppy fields. You almost forgot how nice it smelled, like grass and --and blood. “Two, focus.” as if on cue, a wooden staff came down only for your instincts to kick in and block it effectively with your own, a strain in your knees at the strength._

_One was bleeding from his mouth. That was from when you rammed the staff under his jaw, but then he reciprocated, if the blooming bruise on your stomach was anything to go by. His eyes were brilliantly alight with mirth and something challenging, like it always was when you two sparred._

_“I am focused.” and to back up that remark, you relented in your hold and swiped to the side, making him lose his balance, only for him to flip on his hands and feet like an acrobat, gracefully avoiding the crash. He was always the best when it came down to tricks like these, especially given his gymnastics and athletic background that was quite impressive. The fact that he was number One without having had training for most of his life was...well, embarrassing for you. He was a natural, talented and ruthless, but he didn’t have to live like this for all his life. One was a volunteer of the programme and you were a descendant of one of the oldest families, lineage of a mage, one that trapped the beasts underground all those eons ago._

_The disappointment in your father’s eyes was palpable._

_Frowning, you lunged at him, erratically swiping the staff at his sides, stepping sharply with each movement in hopes of finding an opening, but he gave none. He blocked and dodged as if he were playing with you, not even giving it his all. Another swipe and he caught your staff with his own, rolling it around it and forcefully making you lower it enough for his foot to come down and effectively break the wood in two as if it were nothing._

_“Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgement.” he lightly chastised, lowering his weapon and regarding you with those annoying green eyes of his. His red locks of hair were tousled from a sudden breeze and his boyish grin made his skin crinkle in delight, the freckles on his cheeks scrunching along. “You’re so angry…” he added after a moment of pause in which you frustratedly threw the two sides of the broken staff away._

_“No shit?!”_

_“Language.”_

_“Fuck you!”_

_“Language.” he calmly chided again, his grin long gone and replaced with a cold hard stare that he wore only in battle. “Shove that up your ass, ginger.” you snarled, flipping him the bird and turning your back to leave for the campound. “I said, language.” and you had no time to turn around fast enough when his staff slammed into your back and made your bones crack painfully, bringing you down on the ground with scary accuracy._

_The redhead stepped around you until he was at your side, before his foot connected with your hip and made you tumble back with a sharp exhale. “I would really appreciate it if you would not curse in my presence, Two.”_

_You bit back the string of profanities and raised your eyes to meet his. Blues mirrored greens in a battle of sorts, but in the end, you submissively looked away. In an instant, One knelt by you with a grin on his face, showing off his pearly whites as he hoisted you up. “We have to learn to work together, Two, we are assigned together from now on, so I’d really like for us to understand each other to be efficient in battle.”_

_You only grunted and looked everywhere that was not him. “..Two.” when you refused to look at him, his hand carefully took a hold of your chin and forced your head to turn so your gazes locked together. “I give you my word, Two. I will never abandon you, so give me something to fight for, give me a comrade that I can trust and need. You and I, we are different but alike, so it would be best to put aside this nonsense and be one with each other.” by nonsense, you knew he meant your rivalry and competition, this permanent shit arrangement of him being always better than you and besting you in all you had confidence in._   
_“You’re the best fit for me. You have no idea how many they assigned to me, but it never worked.” ah, but you were aware. None of the others worked well with One and One never played nice for whatever reason. The duo would always turn into a solo with one dead or left behind, yet he held you above all else and had enough respect to treat you equally. The wounds you always gave him through sparring were a testament to your skill and prowess and he knew that. He loved the challenge too, it was why he always took you as a partner in mostly every assignment other than missions._

_Now, the decision became permanent, thanks to the head of the programme. Two and One would work together from this day onward. This knowledge made you bristle, but you just frowned and nodded your understanding._

_“We’re gonna change the world, you and I.”_

* * *

 

  
When you came to, your body was numb and it was foggy, vision blurred and pain going in surges through you like some electrical pulse. Then there was the bathing warm red light all around you, something familiar, something thrumming in tandem with your heartbeat.

Skeleton phalanges cupped beneath a red heart shape.

Fuck, it looked so pretty. It felt so intimate and so close and warm and….so you, so incredibly you. Your hand reached up towards it before your brain caught up with what was going on and you shakily touched the curving of the end, phalanges retreating.

Your SOUL.

This was your fucking SOUL. Like a brick hitting you straight in the face, you realized that your SOUL was outside of your body and the skeleton hands belonged to a monster, facts and memories catching up with you like a freight train. In a second, you sat up and scrambled until your back hit a wall, the red heart following your movement and remaining above your chest as your breathing quickened and your eyes darted about the darkness of the room.

“h-hey _sweetheart_ \--” what was he doing? Did he pull your soul out? Was he going to devour it like those dog monsters did? Fury like no other flooded your senses and your cold blue eyes turned to steel determination as you glared at the fiend kneeling by your side.

“Don’t _fucking_ touch me!” you managed to creak through your sore throat. He visibly tensed but then frowned, brow bones twisting with the down hitch of his permanent jagged grin. “i ain’t gonna hurt’cha--” “I said don’t fucking **_touch_** me!!” your shriek was like that of a wounded animal as the skeleton approached, one knee on..on a mattress? Like a caged beast, you turned your gaze around as your senses spiked, breathing audible and ragged, close to a panic attack, while your SOUL pulsed rapidly.

“calm down now, c’mon sweetheart--” he tried again, his voice becoming distant as your pupils dilated and your head felt light. He sounded...worried? What happened? Your breathing was becoming a hard whine, like you were having difficulty getting enough air in.

And then he came closer, hand reached out for you. _For your SOUL_.

That’s when your eyes snapped to him as if you were seeing him for the first time, widened and wild like a storm. Everything slowed down, all the noise became static and there was this feeling of...of too much. Your red SOUL then glowed brighter than ever and a strong pulse vibrated through everything and anything, knocking the skeleton away with a flash.

And you sank, like vertigo coursing through your muscles and stomach. Suddenly, you were somewhere else, there was snow on the ground, there was the skeleton in front of you.

_But different._

_Your hands were shaking and you took a moment to look down at them, finding your knives gripped tightly in your grasp. Wait, your knives weren’t jagged, the blade wasn’t curved like this and your hunter outfit was wrong, there was...there was so much hatred within you._

_Slowly you lowered the knives and looked up at the monster you were facing, the same skeleton, but so different. There were no sharp teeth, only a permanent and strained grin on his face, he wore a blue hoodie, he had slippers in his feet and his pinpricks, they were white. He...he looked drained, exhausted, disappointed even?_

_What was this?_

_“hey kid, you really like swinging those around, huh?” even his voice, his tone, his everything, it was wrong. “let’s go to grillby’s instead, howzabout it?” he gave a light shrug and closed one eye, an incredibly relaxed aura about him._

Then it faded, and you felt ripped from this as if you were cleaved in two. Your eyes rolled back and you slumped down on the side, losing conscience with a shaky exhale.

* * *

  
Sans was dumbfounded.

He just finished with the huntress’ head wound and was now contemplating going for a smoke after he took his pack of cigarettes back from her harness, when she groaned and tossed in her slumber. Then, the most weird shit happened and her SOUL literally came out, as if she was confronting someone in her dream and her essence responded to it. Curiously, he inched closer, the bright red painting the worn out cabin walls in warmth and strength. The fact that her SOUL was that of determination spoke volumes, but then the image of Frisk flashed through his mind and he felt his body quiver.

He broke their body to get that kind of soul.

Now here this huntress was, with her bright red determination, mocking him and his choices. With spite, he approached the mattress, pinpricks glowering at the display and then moving down on the female’s face. If the scrunching was anything to go by, then she looked like she was in distress.

Her SOUL pulsed softly. His thrummed in reply, as if they were familiar with each other.

“the fuck?” he absentmindedly gripped at his red shirt, incredulously staring at her red heart. The baring of the SOUL was only reserved for life mates amongst monsters and confrontations during battles with humans or others, but he had never witnessed a human willingly expelling their essence like this unless they were dead.

Clearly, she was not dead.

Frisk could do this, though. A little whisper of fear trailed down his spine. Determination so strong was hard to come by and scary with how many possibilities it could offer its wearer.

_Thump._

Why was it calling to him? Lured in like a moth to a flame, the skeleton reached out for it, his phalanges cupped underneath it, like it was made of glass and a simple touch could break it.

And that’s when it all went to shit and she woke up. Any attempt at calming her seemed futile and when the SOUL clearly screamed in wrath and knocked him off his feet, he knew that this human could be more trouble than he thought at first. It was over just like it started, abruptly, and the huntress was out like a light after it, soul vanishing back in her chest as if he scared it away.

_Sans was dumbfounded_ , stuck to the floor and staring dumbly at the sprawled out hunter on the floor.

_Thump_.

“fuckin’ stars…” he muttered to himself, cautiously standing up on shaking bones, eyes fixed on the body like she was going to sit up any time and pull that shit again. Slowly, he took several steps towards her once more and after what felt like an eternity, in which she made no move, the skeleton finally dragged her back on the mattress.

Was it possible that she could... _reset_? Could she make all their hard work go to shit? A shiver of fear once again made itself known to him. The realization that she could, in fact, take it all away was frightening. What if he woke up back in his room in Snowdin? He had to make sure she never knew that she might be able to --no no no, no need to start thinking about it.

What were the chances?

“fifteen percent.” he replied to his own question, pinpricks vanishing and leaving behind dark voids in their stead. This time, he went for a smoke to calm his nerves before he lost his mind.

* * *

  
The next time you woke up, it was morning, the sun was just rising so you could tell by the way the rays slowly ascended that it was early. Your head throbbed and you bit back a groan as you stretched your legs out in order to assess the damage.

Despite the discomfort, you felt rested. There were few times you could actually let go completely and it seemed that the recent events drained you of your last drops of energy. Speaking of events, the happenings came back to you like a torrent and made the headache even harder to withstand.

You reached up to touch your forehead only to find your fingertips brushing over some kind of cloth, wet and wrapped around your head. Shit, right. The fall. How did you even get here...and furthermore, where was here? Gritting your teeth, you sat up, limbs shaking with the effort.

The monster. Your SOUL. What happened? Okay, so standing up like this was not gonna work. Slowly, you turned so you held up on your knees and arms, before you crawled towards one of the walls and used it as a support to stand up and gather your surroundings. It appeared like a rundown wooden cabin, with windows lacking glass and a table stuck to the opposite side. There was a mattress, tainted with blood and mustard on the ground and a rusty bucket of water by the door...or what was supposed to be a door, only it was barely hinged and standing. The presence of dust on every surface made it apparent that it had not been used for years and years, but certain patches without it proved that someone did, in fact, use it from time to time. By the table, you saw a chair with a jacket hung from it and a blanket on it, then there was a sock under the table.

A few scattered papers were on the surface of it, along with a rule, some crayons and other measuring instruments, a few bottles of mustard and a jar of..pickles? Well then. This meant that the monster was around and that he was the one that wrapped up your wound and took you here.

Still, you weren’t the one to not look a gift horse in the mouth. No, you were the type of person that turned that fucking gift horse inside out. In this case, you didn’t know why he had your SOUL or why he was trying to take it from you, because you were pretty sure you still had it if you woke up. Sweaty palms traveled the length of the wooden wall as your legs slowly moved towards the only way out of this shack.

* * *

  
Sans couldn’t sleep all night. The thoughts kept him busy and fully alert. That’s why when the sun rose lazily above the tree line, the skeleton was a little taken back. Had he really spent that much time analyzing the situation? The first rays of light found him perched over stump that was once a tree trunk outside the cabin, one that acted as a chair for the monster. He had one leg crossed over the other at the ankle and both elbows resting on the kneecaps.

The smoke of a cigarette was raising up a few inches from his skull, held loosely between two phalanges and absentmindedly he brought it up to his mouth for a drag once in a while. His gaze was blank and it was clear that he had zoned out after his observation of the time passing stars knows when or how.

The core of the problem was that he didn’t know how to proceed with the huntress now.

Speaking of the devil, the door of the cabin creaked, making him snap his gaze towards it just as the female struggled out in a string of curses. He casually placed the cigarette between his teeth, one of the only moments when he actually pried his mouth open and closed one eye as she took notice of him.

“mornin’ dollface.” he greeted thickly, hiding his worries with easy practice. “Don’t. What the fuck were you doing with my SOUL? Trying to devour it? Saw the opportunity?” at her accusation, his phalanges flexed in a fist, trying hard to keep the bubbling rage under the surface. “a simple thanks would’ve been ‘nough.” he spat bitterly, opening his eye and turning back to look at the brightening sky.

“Thanks? Thanks for what? Changing your mind and not tearing my--” “shuddup.” he interrupted her, blowing some smoke out through his nasal cavity, without even turning to look at her. “ya did that all by yerself. i did nothin’. why would i even try to help ya if i wanted to kill ya? i ain't even got magic to do that.”

When he was met with silence, he knew he had made a valid enough point to make her quit.

“That’s impossible. Humans can’t call upon their own SOUL.” she exhaled sharply and as if by instinct, his head turned towards her immediately and he made to stand up and help her. As soon as this caught up to him, he had to remind himself that she was not Frisk and that had him settle down but bristle at her every move nonetheless.

The huntress sat down cross-legged on the grass and began unzipping her hunter outfit, re-capturing Sans’ interest as soon as she started showing more and more flesh up to the point that she peeled down the top half of the outfit. As expected, her arms were bruised, a sickly green and brown color covering her shoulder and extending to her back. A lot of it was swollen and there were many bumps along her arms as well as older cuts that managed to close up but kept the red angry look. The skin of one of her hands was broken, but it scabbed and her face held a nasty scratch on her cheek and one on her forehead from her fall. It had been cleaned by him though, so the chances of those infecting was slim, now the back of her head, that had the nastiest wound and he barely managed to make the bleeding stop, then there was the matted with blood strands that clung together with dirt and mud, a testament to what she'd been through.

He wasn’t big on hygiene, but he knew enough to acknowledge that the human needed to clean up fast if she wanted a chance to take care of those properly. And this wasn’t gonna happen inside his cabin. “They can’t...right?” her voice brought him out of his thoughts and that was the first time she showed uncertainty in her eyes.

_Thump._

“uh...nah?”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Nah?” _Thump. Thump_. Shit. “as in no they can’t.” he grumbled fast and looked away, feeling his bones hot all of a sudden.

“Why haven’t you run or abandon me? I was out, so why did you take me here instead of taking me to your own kind?”

“‘cause it’d be fuckin’ embarrassing to show up with that shit on my spine and no magic. ‘sides, it’d be even worse if i get caught with ya or anyone finds out ‘bout me being in this situation.” he took another drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke out of his mouth this time. “and you’re the only one that knows how to take this shit off, yea?”

“Yes.” she answered that fast, getting busy with looking at her bruises. “That’s correct.” her quick answer made him turn to observe her quietly.

“gave ya my word too, but that ain’t mean nothin’ to ya, so..” he flicked the cigarette butt into the grass without putting it out, but she said nothing, so he didn’t go crush it under his foot. At his last statement, she looked in his direction and he immediately glanced elsewhere to avoid those piercing ice blues.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, in which she continued to stare at him without any words, the skeleton stood up with a grunt and went back inside to get his jacket, only to come out a second later with a bottle of mustard as well. “time to move, dollface, those nasty wounds aren’t gonna get cleaned by themselves.”

That said, he threw the jacket on her head and walked off some distance away before patiently waiting for her with his back turned, to get up so they could reach the city’s slums by the sunset.

“Sorry for doubting you.” as soon as those things left her mouth, he turned his body to her as if she slapped him. “Your promise, I mean.” she added, clearing her throat and standing up with his jacket on, granted, with some effort and a hiss.

_Thump_. He brought the mustard bottle to his teeth and took a sudden chug.

“whateva’.” the sooner he got under her skin, the better. If she took off this device, then he could take her to the monsters and have her locked up, receive praise for his good deed and continue on with his life. If she was the one thing keeping this city standing and safe from bombing and harm, then she was gonna stay here and rot. King Asgore would surely know what to do with her determination as well, and then he had to go see Alphys to figure out why his SOUL was being affected like this. Perhaps it was because of Frisk and the similarity between the two, but eh...he’d cross that bridge when he’d get to it. But first, he had to make this little birdie believe she could fly, only to clip off her wings as soon as she attempted it.

And if he got to rut her for his troubles, then that was a bonus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comment of you liked it! I love hearing your feedback~


	10. help our souls tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey hey! tenth chapter is up! yass
> 
> i'm also thinking of making an au version of this with undertale sans but mm, lemme know what you guys think  
> thing will be getting a bit more complicated from this point on too!
> 
> songs to go with this : Jerry Folk - Purple Feelings (feat. Rainsford) ; mishlawi - all night

How long until he would figure out the device stopped working? Granted, you still had till night, roughly after dusk, but how would it affect him? You didn’t know if the expiration of the device would feel like anything, but at the same time, you were aware that he had to feel something once his magic would stop being disrupted.

A fool you were not and just because you took him down once didn’t mean you’d be lucky enough to do it again. At this thought, you pulled the jacket, his jacket, closer to your body as if it could comfort you and act as a barrier between the skeleton and you.

That’s why you even apologized beforehand for not taking his words seriously. Well, that was a ruse, because you weren’t stupid enough to take his promise to heart, but an apology from you might mellow him a bit, make him unsure, confuse him about your character. Perhaps even make him think ‘maybe she’s not that bad’, ease him into a false sense of security. Hell, you weren’t even holding his leash anymore or tying him up, you just let him upfront to lead, as a sign that you were grateful.

Not that you weren’t, but...seriously, could anyone blame you? He was a monster and you dusted enough of them to know how cunning and manipulative they were.

The only reasons that he even saved you were that of the device on his spine and your alive status that guaranteed the city’s continued well-being, a sort of leverage and a barrier against the intent of the organization outside.

You gave him a false sense of hope that you were the only thing keeping them from eradicating, erasing this city from the maps. And that was your ace in your sleeve. Then there was his hurt pride, his wounded ego of having been bested by a human, of losing his magic because of his rash decision. Because he underestimated you and he would become the laugh of the others, the butt of all jokes.

Well, you had the advantage, if you stopped and looked at the facts. Magic or no magic, he would still have to keep you alive and that in itself gave you a confidence boost. You would play his ‘trust’ game, you would lead him to believe you trusted him, only to cut it all out when the time was right and you secured Ally and the rest.

That was your mission.

Your muscles complained at every step and your stomach growled as you finally came down from the mountain and hit pavement. That never bothered you before, because you were trained to pull through no matter how dire the situation, but your ‘companion’ took notice and stopped.

“hey, dollface, we can stop ya know?” he turned to face you completely, and you almost let confusion slip over your features before you registered what he meant. Your movements were sluggish, yes, but you could still keep going. Nonetheless, you could play this in your favor and give the impression that this might be your limit. Feigning a sigh of relief, you slowly made your way to an abandoned broken down car and leaned on the hood.  
Maybe you could also inspect the state of your wounds.

Casually, the skeleton walked over to you and hopped on the hood, uncomfortably close to you. That gave you pause and your calculating gaze snapped up to him like that of a lioness ready to pounce.

“we’re gonna walk for half an hour more, towards north, there’s some apartment buildings up there and ya can eat then.” why was he making conversation with you? An awkward pause followed, in which you made no move, just stared at him blankly.

It was true that you didn’t have your map anymore, but that didn’t mean you were going in blindly. “You know this city best. I’d suggest west, however.” that said, you started getting busy with the harness. Once a good hiding spot was found, you’d have to recount, do some inventory, because you didn’t know what you still had or not. Clearly, the rucksack was lost, though, so that was that.

“north’s better, dollface, safer. ‘sides, they ain’t gonna patrol the area i have in mind.”

You sighed and paused your movements once again before you turned your gaze and fixed it on his, catching him staring for the third time since you began this ‘journey’. As expected, he looked away the instant you locked eyes with him. “What are you doing?” at your inquiry, he just shrugged.

“like i said, keepin’ my promise.”

Right. Your blue eyes remained focused on his face, gold tooth and sharp grin. So different from the other skeleton you saw temporarily, like a ghost of something else. No time to waste, you needed to get a move on again if you wanted to be safe for the night.

In fact, you had half a mind to run off while he slept.

* * *

  
As stated by the skeleton, the area was not only dark but also monsterless. This side of the city, where the bad neighborhoods were located, was completely abandoned. The eerie silence and the empty dirty streets only drove the point home. This area was dead.

After a short banter about hiding in a motel or an apartment building, you won and now you two were inside a motel room after a long visit within the diner across the street. “I don’t see why you have to fucking stay in the same room as me.” you hissed as you cut the metal lid of a sweet corn can with a knife.

You didn’t have to look up to know he was ignoring you and as soon as the smell of cigarette smoke made itself known, it became clear that he was doing it intentionally. “In fact, I don’t think I need you anymore, so you can leave.” you added wearily, hashing through the metal.

“ain’t gonna go nowhere till ya take this shit offa me and you’re outta my hair.”

You felt the knot in your throat tightening and instinctively looked out the window to see the sunset. The device was going to expire soon and you were pretty sure some words weren’t going to stop him from coming at you once he knew. This tension was bordering on paranoia now and every instinct you had told you to fucking run or take him down while you still could.

The grip on the knife tightened and you glanced briefly at the skeleton sitting on the bed and smoking his cigarette, seemingly zoned out, probably thinking of ways to take you out as well. Honestly, you didn’t know what this was anymore. He wasn’t your hostage, he wasn’t your ally, yet he helped you for some reason and now stuck by you when he could very well leave.

And yes, you went over this before in your head, maybe it was his pride and the device, but still. Would it really matter when he could clearly take you down, when there was a possibility of taking you hostage, of killing you.

Suddenly, you no longer felt hungry. The uncertainty and tension was too much, empty stomach or not. You needed to clean the wounds, make an inventory and be ready to flee or fight.

“ya seem tense, dollface.” his voice was calm, almost too calm and you halted your movements, can of food long forgotten but knife still held tight in your hand as you sat on the floor, eyes up on his skull.

He shifted a bit and turned on his stomach, shimmying his way to the foot of the bed so he could make eye contact without straining himself. Carelessly, he flicked some ash on the ground and you felt your lips twitch in annoyance.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

And that was the end of that. You didn’t bother close any doors, you simply stepped into the bathroom and turned the water on, aware of his eyes following your every move. Slowly, very slowly, you took off the harness and plating before you peeled the suit off, hissing at every crease and every wound that you passed, noting how destroyed the outfit was. There were cracked plates, tears in the fabric and you were pretty sure several knives were missing from the fall.

Absentmindedly, you ran your hand over your earpiece --only to find out it wasn’t there anymore. Shit. Did it get lost during the fall or the chase? Did he take it from you in hopes that you wouldn’t be able to get in touch with your fellow hunters? _Fucking damn it!_

You said nothing, however. You didn’t want to make him suspicious of your behavior, not when you were slowly coming up with a plan. As you stepped under the drizzle of the shower, you shuddered and placed your palms on the wall tiles, head bowed and letting the water slither down your bruises and wounds. When the water turned from brown and red to clear, you finally sighed and moved to properly clean your body of anything else that might’ve stuck.

Especially your nails, those were a mess now that you couldn’t clip them to nothing. Then there were the older wounds that had dirt caked on and you had to make sure they were clean.

During this, you were placing pieces together, thinking, calculating, evaluating and assessing your situation, until a strategy started taking shape in your mind.

 

* * *

 

Sans was slowly running out of good-will and patience. She reeked of tension and when she exposed herself to him like that in the shower, it was almost impossible for him to keep his growl low and gaze away.

Was she trying to play some kind of game with him? His red pinpricks wandered over the shape of her hips and buttocks, until he felt his SOUL singing in response. The red scars and bruises over the shoulders and spine, it made her deliciously tempting and he wanted to sink his teeth into that flesh, feel it against his bones desperately. _Thump_.

Fuck.

He needed to get distracted. Groaning, he turned forcefully from the bathroom view and moved so he had his back to it and face towards a small TV on a table across the bed.

There was a good idea. Now where the fuck was the remote --ah, there. Like instinct, he reached out for it, willing his magic to bring it to him. The remote was enveloped in his red magic and floated in his hand in a second. He almost didn’t realize what happened until he felt the huntress standing in the bathroom doorway, knife grasped in her hand behind her back, eyes cold and predatory, set on the remote.

When he glanced back at her, he was mesmerized by the way she looked, too distracted to even notice the killing intent in her haunting blues. Her raven locks were wet and stuck to her face, down to her shoulders, dripping on the floor, her skin was flushed and slick from the water, free for him to roam hungrily and only a short towel wrapped around her frame that hid her chest down to her upper thighs. _Thump. Thump._  

Sans just gawked and sweated as she stalked forward, frozen in place when she placed one knee on the bed between his legs and leaned over him until he willingly fell back on the mattress, completely hypnotized by her. That’s when her SOUL pulsed and he saw it, a flash, a thrum, making his own react with a fizzle of magic.

_Magic._

His magic was back. As if snapped out of a daze, with the huntress straddling his pelvis, the warmth of her skin seeping into him, Sans raised his gaze to her face and knew she wasn’t trying to fuck him. _No_. Raised above her head was her knife, ready to strike him down into dust. 

Once he understood what was happening, he slammed his hand into her chest, throwing her off him and off the bed, and he vanished from it, appearing by the bathroom door with empty sockets.

“i’m guessin’ our deal’s off, dollface?” he rasped, not quite finding his voice when he realized that she wanted to fucking kill him. Her device stopped working, apparently, and she knew it. That’s why she was doing what she was doing now. Kill him before he killed her. Stars, she was fucking hot when she was like this.

_Thump._

* * *

  
This deal was off alright. You just caught him using his magic and you weren’t about to wait for him to use it on you. When he knocked the air out of your chest, you fell on the floor and out of the bed, straight on your back. Coupled with your already bruised back, you couldn’t help the tears that sprung to the corners of your eyes. Nonetheless, you pushed through and stood up, biting back the pain that struck you like lightning.

The hunter was back and you flipped the knife in your grasp to face the monster with the blade outwards. Your knees lowered as you took your stance, though you favored your right leg more and the other hand raised up so your palm could hold the blunt side of the knife straight as a support. Defense, offense.

“i ain’t tryna’ hurt’cha, but if you’re gonna swing that knife at me i ain’t gonna hold back.” why were his eye sockets empty? “That’s too fucking bad, because I’m trying to hurt _you_.” that said, you lunged at him, jumping mid-step with your knees up and knife held to strike. He vanished at the last possible second, letting you sink the blade into the wall and slam your knee on the hard surface.

You yanked the knife out and were about to turn, when you felt his hand fisted in your hair, pulling you down with enough force to move you with the motion and then slam you back into the wall, face first. You gave a whine when you felt the pain in your nose, dropping the knife in the process, blood already slipping down your lips and chin when he yanked you back to him, pulling your head backwards so he could look you in the eyes. His grin was sadistically wide, as if he enjoyed having you like this.

“ya should’ve listened to me.”

He wasted no time in summoning three sharp bones with his free hand, one at your throat and one thrusting into your side to make you kneel with a snarl. The other was dangerously close to the back of your neck, point denting the skin and warning you that at a flick of his wrist, both those sharp bones could pierce through your neck and kill you instantly, if not sever your head.

Regardless, you defied him with the burning rage in your eyes and weakly reached up to grab his shirt, crumpling the material into your fist, before you drove the other hand up in an upper cut, right into his jaw with as much strength as you could muster. “Fuck you!”

That earned you a surprised wail from him and then the flaring of his right eye, infused with magic that looked like a burning flame. In an instant, he lifted you effortlessly and threw you like you were nothing, on the other side of the room, your side hitting the opposite wall with a powerful thud before you slid down in a heap of bruises and wheezing.

He appeared in front of you again and pulled you up by your hair, lifting you on wobbly legs and then shoving you backwards on the bed. The mattress sunk with your weight as you tried to catch your breath, arms shaking and legs feeling numb. The skeleton crawled over you, red pinpricks looking through you with malice and desire? You hissed through clenched teeth, the metallic taste on your tongue as he lowered his head, nasal cavity touching your probably broken nose and making you tense painfully.

“listen ‘ere, i made ya a promise, ain’t that ‘nough?” his grin hitched higher and you turned your face from him forcefully. That was short lived, because he cupped your chin in a bruising grip and yanked you back to look you in the eye. “ya really like swingin’ that thing around, huh?”

_What?_

Your eyes widened in remembrance and that must’ve shown because he tilted his head to the side in confusion at your expression, but in a second he returned to normal. His knee slid between your legs and your breath hitched when it pressed intimately underneath the slipping towel. He lowered his head into the crook of your neck and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly afterwards and making you shiver.

“i’m gonna keep my promise, yea? so stop tryina’ fight me, dollface, i’m bound to my word no matter how much i’d like ta vandalize ya right now.”

That made you swallow thickly and look away, every muscle in your body tense and trembling from the strain. “Get the fuck off me then.” you managed to whisper through heavy breaths. His red hues lowered to the cleavage barely hidden by the towel and his knee shifted in a way that made you close your eyes with a sharp inhale. Fuck, why was he making your body feel all hot and electrified?

Being dominated like this, it...it made no sense why you would even…”I said…” you breathlessly started, opening your eyes halfway only to see him watching you closely, sharp teeth pried open and a red tongue behind them. “...get the fuck…” he halted your speech when he leaned back down and slid his tongue over your throat and chin, then lips, tasting your blood like a famished wolf.

“...off…” you finished shakily. 

God, your chest hurt. You had to get him off you, this was disgusting. He was fucking disgusting! With the last bit of energy, you raised your arms and pushed on his ribcage with a burning glare. He gave in with a dark mocking chuckle and sat up, moving his leg from between yours so he was straddling your middle now. “red’s a good look on ya, but if ya wanna get outta here alive, yer gonna have ta start trusting my word.” 

The fucking sack of dicks was gonna get it. Fueled by rage, you sat up fast, much to his shock and headbutted him with enough force to knock him off you in an instant. In fact, you had half a mind made up to beat him to a pulp now. However, he vanished once again into thin air and appeared on the other side of the bed, rubbing his forehead and glaring menacingly at you, teeth bared in a snarl. “fuckin’ bitch.”

“If you ever try that again, I will fucking dust you with my bare hands.” you spat, pulling yourself together and hurriedly wrapping yourself in the blanket from the bed in order to hide your body. Why was he letting you live, though? Why not kill you? Unless he needed you.

_Right_.

You alive meant the city was going to strive. You dead meant their death. It was a risk he wasn’t willing to take. The device was clearly not working anymore, but if you could get close enough to it to type in the codeword, maybe you could make it explode at your will by voice. The faulty side of it was that you would need to get close and personal for that instead of doing it at a safe distance, something the organization's engineers had to fix soon. 

Should’ve set it before you put it on him, though.

After you were safely cocooned in the blanket, ignoring the throbbing of your whole body, you finally fixed your gaze on him and the skeleton daringly held it with his own, stuffing his hands into his basketball shorts’ pockets.

“Where do we stand? What is this?”

“truce. ‘till you’re outta here. ya scratch my back, i scratch yours.”

“Allies? What do you gain from this?”

“yea...well, ya don’t kill my brother and your fellow hunters don’t burn down the city.”

“And how are you gonna accomplish that if you get me out of here?”

“i ain’t stupid, dollface. we’re fewer than ya and maybe a good deed will get me a good word out there. that’s where ya come in. two is what they call ya, right? that’s gotta weight somethin’.”

“That’s stupid, a monster that doesn’t want this shit storm to happen.”

“nah, i got tired of all this fightin’. maybe it’s time both sides get to talk.”

You didn’t believe a word he was saying. Monsters were bloodthirsty, there had to be an ulterior motive for this change of heart. Against your better judgement, he was the only way out at this moment and you needed to get Ally and finish your mission. Maybe cross him once you figured a way around to complete your task, save Ally and get out of here.

Perhaps destroy the device that created the barrier. That way, your fellow hunters could swoop in and take it all down, kill everything and make this shit stop.

“Fine, a truce then.”

“ya promise?” he stared you down with empty sockets again, grin hitching downwards. “Yes, I promise.”

“good, because if ya break it, i’m gonna break yer neck too.” his statement irked you, but you kept your mouth shut for now. Until your were back in full condition and health, you couldn’t exactly puff out your chest, so you had to be smart about it, let him think he had it.

“Right, how do we go about this?”

“well, dollface, for starters, i’m sans. sans the skeleton.”

_You already knew that_. “Two.”

“now i’d tell ya a chemistry joke but i know i wouldn't get a reaction.” oh god, no, was he seriously doing this after having a serious conversation about the situation you two were in at the moment? He winked afterwards, expectantly, but the only thing you did was stand up from the bed, granted, with some struggle, and walked back inside the bathroom, slamming the door shut this time.

You had to set your nose back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment and kudos if you liked it!  
> your feedback is appreciated and loved~


	11. i love the way you keep on trying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand I'm on time with the update! here's the eleventh chapter and hoooo boy am I glad I passed the tenth chapter  
> idk why but it felt like a stepping stone? oh and we have officially got over 1000 hits! yesss~ keep it up guys!  
> I'm so happy and surprised that so many people are reading this piece of fanfiction and I will definitely see this through the end.
> 
> and I already have the ending planned, as I mentioned before, yet I don't know how many more chapters it will have  
> maybe 20? maybe 25? who knows. it all depends on how i'll break it up. I do have a sequel in mind, given that this first part is not going to be very...thorough *squints* oh well! i'll cross that bridge when i get to it.
> 
> thank you all for supporting me through this journey and I hope you'll stay with me no matter how crazy things will get in the story! i love you all and i love hearing your feedback!
> 
> songs to go with this : Lucian - Do My Thing (ft. Philosofie) ; Soul On Fire - Mystery Skulls

“ _...hunter among us. We ask everyone within Ebott City to immediately report any sightings of --_ ”

Mmm. The background sound of the TV was almost calming if it weren’t for the string of words you caught up through your sleep. For a moment it felt as if you were back home, well, not home, but in the facility, where all the hunters were kept, in your own room and bed.

The mind had an amazing way of erasing worries when you slept, as if the problems and the reality of your situation were gone until you opened your eyes and remembered. That’s why you hated being so deep in slumber.

Hell, you didn’t even remember when you fell asleep.

“ _...from your humble host, Mettaton!_ ” the last thing you remember was biting back the pain when you re-set your nose and then blackness. Did you honestly faint?

You locked back your arm once and you didn’t pass out. God, this was _embarrassing_.

Apart from the awful smell of cigarettes and mustard and stallness, there was a sweet taste in your mouth and the lack of throbbing from your wounds. Did you manage to patch them up or --something wasn’t right. If you fell in the bathroom then how were you on the bed? Unless --oh shit, the skeleton monster!

In an instant, you sat up, blinking rapidly to make out your surroundings and trying your hardest to sharpen your senses. Licking your lips, you realized the sweet taste felt like candy, but there was no candy around as far as you knew. Your companion wasn’t around either.

But the TV was on. With the news tuned out, you started examining your injuries, only to find nothing but scar tissue, as if they healed over night. “What the fuck did he do to me?” you mumbled with widened eyes, turning your arms this way and that, then doing the same for your legs.

The only discomfort was the soreness in your muscles, but otherwise...it felt as if you never fell down or had bones stuck in your flesh. This was disturbing, so you quickly unfurled from the sheets and blanket, sighing in relief at the fact that you had managed to pull on some undergarments, shorts and a wifebeater while in the bathroom before you fainted, and then stumbled out of the bed, almost knocking the little TV down in the process. That reminded you, maybe it was a good idea to go scouting around the motel for any rooms that had been inhabited before the monsters took over, find some spare clothes like these ones you found yesterday.

A backpack would do good as well, perhaps visit the diner across again for their knives.

Why were you feeling so lightheaded? In your journey to the bathroom, you had to support yourself by using the walls and furniture, because your limbs just refused to work properly. What did that skeleton do to you?

“i wouldn’t start bein’ so active yet, dollface.”

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. You leaned on the sink and gave the monster your best death glare from the doorway. Truthfully, you were hoping he abandoned you and went back to his buddies, but judging by the tray of food he was carrying, that wasn’t the case.

“brought ya some food. monster candy ain’t ‘nough to get a human back on its feet.” he then went further inside to set down the tray and thus, out of your sight. What the fuck was he doing? And monster candy? What the fuck was that? With a frown, you turned to look in the mirror above the sink, only to see that indeed, all wounds had healed.

Arm slightly shaky, you reached behind and let your fingertips brush over where the nasty wound to your head was, but that too was only some raised skin, healed and scarred. Your frown only deepened. Why did he even help? Huffing, you pushed yourself away from the sink and stumbled out of the bathroom, just in time to watch Sans squishing a bottle of mustard right into his mouth, shark-like teeth pried open and tongue lolling out.

You shuddered at the sight. “What the fuck did you do to me? Why am I healed?”

He gulped down the stuff and turned to you, clamping his mouth shut in his usual disturbing wicked grin. “got ya some monster candy. heals humans.”

“Why did you do that and how did you get it?” because you couldn’t imagine him just finding monster candy laying around in the middle of the damn street. The info about it, though, you stored it for later use. “‘cause you’re just gonna be useless if you’re wounded.” he shrugged casually, plopping back on the bed and watching the TV with half-shut eyes and hands behind his skull.

“...how did you--” “listen dollface, now i have my magic back, ain’t it obvious how i got it? ya seem like a smart cookie an’ all, don’t let me down now, yea?”

That shut you up. Yes, you had your suspicion that he might have teleported and got it from somewhere within the city, but who knew with this guy. Regardless, you decided then that you hated his guts...well, _not guts_ , his...no. You just hated him. Still standing in the doorway and glaring daggers at him and his tactless way of being, you sourly glanced away as soon as he turned his gaze to you, probably feeling your scorching eyes on him.

“c’mon, ya gonna stay there all day?” this cocky fucking bag of shit. Pressing all of your damn buttons at the same time. You couldn’t even look at him anymore. Having to work, to tolerate one of his kind was so disgusting and embarrassing, it made you feel dirty for some reason.

But then your stomach growled.

Cautiously, you walked over to the bed and sat down as far from the monster as possible, but close enough to see the contents of the tray. There were cereals in a bowl, a tiny pack of strawberry jam, an apple and two slices of cheese. He actually went and got you all this? After assessing the meal, you reached out and grabbed the pack of jam, ripping off a side and letting some pour on your finger so you could taste it.

Hmm. Not bad. This was actually delicious and heaven knew, you needed something sweet like this to boost your energy. It only took that single indulgence to have you dig in for real, pigging out shamelessly and glancing up at the TV once in a while. The more you ate, the more relaxed you became and the less you worried about the company, something that didn’t occur to you until you heard his amused chuckle from beside you.

“easy there doll, don’t wanna see ya choke or….ya know, bite the _crust_.” was he doing food puns? You scowled down at him. “ya gotta be _kiwing_ me, puns ain’t your _jam_? ya _butter_ get used to it.”

Those were like...what, three puns in one? By now you had stopped munching and just stared at him incredulously. “you’re a real _pizza_ work, dollface.” this time he winked at you and you felt all color drain from your face and tingles in your stomach. Right. Why were you so affected by his attention again? You had plenty of practice with fuckboy hunters trying to either get a rise out of you or get into your pants, but you successfully waved all those away, so why was it a skeleton that made you feel weird? Usually you felt... _nothing_. Then again, fraternization was a no-no anyway.

“Stop.”

“ya say that but _lettuce_ agree that ya find it _berry a-peeling_.” and he followed that atrocity with finger guns pointed at you and mouthing _‘pew’ ‘pew’_  . If you hadn’t been in two life or death fights with this sack of bones already, you would have thought he’s just a harmless cretin.

But before you could voice that, a howl and a blast sounded far enough to not be dangerous but close enough to be concerning.

In an instant, Sans was at the window and you were on your feet. Time was out and the skeleton had been wrong, because this was a patrol coming in the area and you didn’t even want to know what caused that blast.

“shit.” -- _shit_ , indeed. You marched to the bathroom, where you hung your hunter outfit after you left it under the water once you had finished your shower, and quickly started pulling the slightly damp material on. The fact that it was uncomfortable was the understatement of the year, because it felt more awful than that. It felt like wet thongs on a period day.

The plating came next, then the harness. You didn’t even get to inventory your belongings, you just knew you were missing a few knives and your earpiece.

It was irritating, because you were getting sloppy and in battle that could mean your death. Clenching your teeth, you bitterly pulled and clasped the harness into place, before storming out of the bathroom and getting your boots on at the doorway of the room. “I’m gonna go around to find --” but when you glanced up to look at the monster and let him know of your intentions and plans, he was nowhere to be found.

You were already regretting not dusting him when you had the chance.

_Ugh._

Without wasting any more time than was necessary wondering where this douchebag went, you just finished with tying your laces and rolled over the bed to grab the last bite of cheese left and gobbled it down, before flipping over on your feet and leaving the room just as a second blast resounded throughout the area.

This was a bit worrying. What the fuck did that? Regardless, you pushed on, finding the liberty of moving your limbs without any backlash very comforting. This meant you could work at full potential without consequences. Your mind was still slightly hazy and your moves a tiny bit uncoordinated, but you could handle that better than wounds on more than half your body.

As you ran through the corridor, you only paused to kick down doors, glance around and move on. In less than a minute, you spilled into the lobby, scanned the surroundings and then continued through the door at the end of it, which was another corridor. These were the ‘fancier’ motel rooms, equipped with kitchenettes. That meant you could possibly find knives and other stuff, maybe even one that had been lived in instead of vacant rooms like the ones in the wing you came from.

Luck was on your side, because the first door you kicked down had been inhabited, by a couple, judging by the two separate duffel bags with male clothes and female clothes --oh...and apparently they liked their drugs, if the utensils and syringes were anything to go by. Clearing your throat, you went in and hurriedly emptied one duffel bag and sorted through the belongings, choosing some underwear, some clothes --should you change? No, this was not the time, maybe later.

You stuffed some of the guy’s shirts in and some jeans and socks, toiletries and matches you found on the table. Oh, there was a phone on the bed. That might be handy. In the guy’s belongings you also found a switchblade, which you slid in your boot for safe keeping, before you finally moved to the kitchenette.

In the mini-fridge, you found small bottles of alcohol and bars of chocolate. Granted, the sweets you wouldn’t dare take, since you didn’t know how long they’ve been there, but the bottles? Hell yes. You then grabbed some bottled water as well and shoved it between the clothes. Now for the weapons. First, you grabbed a ceramic cup for sharpening, since you lost the one you had before, and then opened all the drawers.

_Bingo._

Granted, these weren’t big knives, but knives nonetheless. With your army one and hunting ones gone, you only had your trusty butcher one and these...ones. Grunting, you slipped them into your harness holsters. In your field training, you often had to improvise and learn guerrilla methods of handling situations.

In this case, you decided you’d make do with kitchen knives and make your own molotov cocktails.

Whatever was out there, was big and blasted shit and you weren’t going to face that up-close and personal. Thus, you went back to the bedroom and ripped a few clothes, stuffed them in the baggage and moved on. Just as you exited the room, another blast shook the whole building, making you almost lose your balance at the unexpected closeness of the attack outside.

There was only one more room that looked like it had been inhabited and it had nothing much in it other than a wallet and a bag with clothes. Frankly, money wasn’t gonna do shit, so you left everything behind and hurried over to the stairs from the lobby that would get you to the roof.

It was time to learn what you were dealing with, or who you were dealing with. Of course, mid-way up the stairs, you almost tumbled back with a shriek when the skeleton suddenly popped out of nowhere, three steps ahead of you. “there ain’t no _thyme_ left, dollface, so if you’re done with the grocery shopping, i’d say we hit the--” “Fuck you!” rudely and shamelessly, you interrupted him, because you seriously couldn’t give two flying fucks what he had to say, especially after he scared the living shit out of you.

“Don’t fucking do that ever again!” you hissed, a hand over your chest where your heart raced. It was so unprofessional to pull shit like this on a fellow hunter, because you didn’t know how they could react. It could span from getting beheaded to giving them a heart attack. Then you had to remind yourself that he was only a temporary ally, untrained, inexperienced and an asshole. Clearly, he’d have no idea about regulations and rules of conduct.

Huffing, you pushed past him, bumping your shoulder into his and continuing up the stairs, until you got to the door to the roof and kicked it open with a swift hit of your foot. Senses sharpened and working better now, you remained hidden behind the almost unhinged door, choosing to drop to your knees and crawl to the ledge until you had a good enough view of the street below.

What you saw in the distance, really disturbed you and made your skin crawl. There was some kind of...robot, at least nine feet tall that looked like a spider, with mechanical legs that moved independently and sure enough, two cannons on its back, looking as if they were harnessing energy or some shit. The intricacies were lost on you, but the metal beast was frightening. Behind it, were two rows of guard mutts, full in armor, looking thirsty for blood.

What the fuck was the meaning of this? The news of a hunter on their turf had reached them, yes, but you didn’t expect... _this_.

“alphys sure outdid herself this time, huh?” you flinched when you heard Sans talking so close to you, making you glare at him in annoyance. “best part’s that she doesn’t even have to be here, she just controls it from back in the lab. didn’t think i’d see it out so soon.” he continued, as if he didn’t even notice you were giving him the death stare.

He wore a sinister grin, gold tooth glinting and red pinpricks filled with some kind of twisted sense of pride. After a few quiet moments in which you simply stared at him, the skeleton that was crouched beside you, finally turned to catch your gaze.

“welp. you’re on your own, doll, can’t have those fuckin’ mutts see me or i’m gonna be in trouble.” he winked creepily at you and it only served to make you even more on edge. What an ally he was. Then again, what expectations did you have. “if they do, i’m gonna have ta kill ‘em...and that thing is recording everythin’ and sending the feeds back to the loon.” he spoke as if he knew this thing inside and out.

“oh and..heh. it was made for humans, so ya gonna have to scatter soon ‘cause it can see heat signatures and electrical pulses.”

“How do you know all this?” you had to ask, because it baffled you how he was so well informed. He sure didn’t look the part of the smart guy. “ya kiddin’ me? i helped make that shit.”

It was amazing how revelations worked in the worst possible moments. You just realized that Sans... _was not dumb_. You were aware that he had some intelligence stored behind those empty eye sockets, but not to this degree.

Then he was up and popped out with a lazy salute. “Wait!” but it was too late, he vanished. Just as you turned your attention back to the enemy line, the cannons were pointed in your direction, tilted up, as if it saw you clearly. You hadn’t even realized it was so close, right by the diner across.

Your mouth opened slightly and you sucked in a breath of air, eyes wide and all muscles tense. There was static in the air and your body responded as soon as your mind caught up. It saw you and was preparing to annihilate you. Locking and loading.

With a quiet whine, you shot to your feet and turned to run. Your best bet was jumping off the roof, because there was no way that going back inside was an option. If it blasted using this trajectory, it would cut through the motel like a hot knife through butter.

The sound of the projectile was drowned by the beating of your heart as your legs pushed harder than ever, muscles burning, blood pumping, adrenaline taking over. You stepped on the opposite ledge and leaped in the air just as the whirl of air registered in your ears.

Shit. Fuck.

You fell like a fucking rock, right on the hood of a truck, with a powerful resounding and graceless thud. You forcefully rolled over it with a battle cry, more to push yourself further than anything and ignored the throbbing on your back, managing to run a few good meters before the side of the motel was blown to pieces, the force of the explosion hurling you a few feet away into the side of another truck.

There was ringing in your ears and you could barely catch your breath as debris flew in every direction, a large piece of metal missing your head by a few inches as it stuck into the side of the truck so hard that it sent vibrations through your body and almost toppled the vehicle over.

By now you were panting and blinking rapidly, trying to focus, but you couldn’t hear shit.

There was no way of getting out of that thing’s way, so you had to take it down. Time to get crafty. You crawled around the truck, thinking of what to do and how to make a grenade, when your eyes fell on the contents of the trunk. The scrap of metal missed those, thank heavens. Three gasoline tanks sat in the back.

 _Molotov cocktails_. A wicked grin spread itself on your lips and you began with your plan.

First, you downed a little bottle of whiskey. Throwing the alcohol away was just bad manners and you needed some guts to do what you were about to do. Those you didn’t fancy, you poured out and then filled the glass bottles with gasoline as fast as you could. In total, you had eight bottles. As soon as you were finished, you unzipped the duffel bag, took some of the rags you made and tore them further, before stuffing them into each bottle and wetting the ends in gasoline as well. Once in a while, you glanced up to make sure no one made it through the rubble. You had time until the dust would settle.

“Matches.” alright, you fished for those and took your constructs, then hopped out of the trunk and hid behind the truck on it’s unscathed side. Howls spilled faintly around you as your hearing was still bad but adjusting. Probably the monster hounds were sent in to find your body and confirm the hit. Mentally, you cursed, because now you couldn’t approximate their position and were basically deaf and had to rely on your other senses. You placed each small bottle on the ground and turned to peek over the truck.

Sure enough, there were four mutts in armor, inspecting the damage, aka the half blown motel and sniffing around for your remains. Now that you knew their position, you slid back down behind the vehicle’s front wheel.

With shaking hands, you grabbed two of your trusty knives and counted to ten, trying to even your breathing. Fucking Sans, leaving you like this. Why were you even whining about it? You’ve been alone all your life and handled worse things than -- _well_ , not as bad as that robot thing, but close enough.

So fuck that asshole, you would depend on yourself and yourself alone. You didn’t need to hold anyone’s hand.

“Three…”

“Two.”

“ _One!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comment please if you liked it! bookmark and everything!  
> love hearing from you guys! 
> 
> oh oh! and before I forget, let me know if i should do the undertale version of this as well.  
> if i get enough positive responses, then I'm gonna start it on the 20th chapter of this story  
> lemme tell you it's gonna be significantly different but...similar at the same time!


	12. you bring out the worst in me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so I'm back with the new chapter. hope you guys enjoy it!  
> I feel like it's kinda eh at the end, but oh well. after some editing, I just left it at that.  
> the plot thickens, though! 
> 
> songs to go with this : ICHI - ABRACADABRA ; Snail's House - Hot Milk

One of the first things you learned as a child starting on the path of a hunter was that you had to be fearless. It was something you had suppressed for years and years, down to the point where you had none. Anger, yes, that could drive you. Sadness, rage, disgust, pride, envy, these were your fuel, but fear? Fear was like an odor that would never leave you and your enemies could smell it from miles away.

It was dishonorable. It was pitiful and pathetic and the reason why you had no mercy or compassion for fellow hunters that embraced it.

No, you were the kind of person that faced anything with bravery and determination. Your will and ambition were unequaled by any other, not even One had as much passion as you did and even he acknowledged that.

No, fear was never an option. That’s why, when you leaped over the hood of the truck with your knives in your hands, you became what you were always meant to be. A perfect tool, a weapon that slayed with deadly precision and efficiency.

You threw your knife at the first mutt your eyes fell on, the blade striking it right between the eyes. Silence fell and with it, the body of the monster, exploding into a pile of dust before it hit the ground.

After that, it became a blur.

You sprinted forward and built speed, then leapt at the last moment, pouncing on the next mutt and driving your knife into its throat as you brought it down with the force of the impact. It howled and turned to dust, sprinkling you with it from head to toe.

But before you could enjoy the sight, you caught the gleam of a weapon heading your way. In an instant, you lurched from the pile of dust and backflipped, the blade of a lance passing just under you.

As soon as you landed and had your feet planted into the dirt, you slid backwards and caught yourself in a crouch, before lunging at the attacker in less than a second. Unfortunately, the mutt wasn’t as fast at reacting as you were, and he only managed to bark and heavily swing the lance to cut off your progress, but you had already found the opening and ducked underneath his arms, before you thrust your knife upwards and clean through his muzzle.

It shuddered but didn’t die, so you yanked back your knife and slashed its throat. The dust poured over you like rain as you watched your last target with a predatory gleam in your eyes.

You didn’t waste time, you ran at it with a wrathful cry.

* * *

 

She was like the goddess of war humans wrote of in their legends. The ones that he read when he collected books from the dump, back in Waterfall. There was fire and wrath and ruin all around her and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of the way she moved through the dog monsters like they meant nothing.

She took four down, then proceeded to take on three more. Did she know she was smiling? It was terrifying how cold and calculating her demeanor became when she dusted the monsters, something deadly and alluring about it at the same time. There was so much power within her. 

Her SOUL was on fire. It burned and pulsed like a will-o wisp. It was fierce and passionate and majestic and he could swear he would have fallen to his knees at this beautiful sight if it weren’t for the more pressing matters of their predicament.

His hands were tied, what with Alphys being able to see everything happening here. While he was invisible to the Human Blaster, well, it didn’t mean she couldn’t pick up on the fact that the hunter wasn’t acting alone and switching through mods. The lack of a heat signature and electrical pulse would definitely point to a monster and the only missing one was him. Alphys was smart, crazy smart, and those two pieces of information wouldn’t be lost on her.

So Two had to handle this by herself, unless she took out the robot first. Then, he could handle blasting some mutts to dust for her, but as long as the HB was here, he could only watch, no matter how painfully his SOUL kept tugging.

Stars, what were these stirrings even? It was as if --

No. The trouble his presence would cause was far too much to be worth it. He wasn’t gonna face Papyrus like this, he didn’t want to, not unless he had a death wish. Asgore too. _Shit_.

But maybe he stood a chance if he had this human with him. If he brought her to the city, if he could incapacitate her and imprison her, offer her to the King, maybe then he would redeem himself and gain back the respect he deserved. Then Papyrus would look at him differently, everyone would.

The more she killed, the more dangerous she was, the more valuable became her capture.

The more respect he got. The more fear, more awe...more appreciation...

_Heh_. And if she remained inside the barrier, then the Anti-Monster organization wouldn’t try anything stupid. Everyone won in this situation. He only had to get over this shit his SOUL kept doing and earn her trust. Then there was the whole thing _her_ SOUL did and if she was kept under his observation, then he would make sure resets didn’t happen...and with help from Alphys, maybe use that to their advantage, use her determination. Harness it. 

It was a good plan, a solid one, because she didn’t even know where the kids were kept. She didn’t even know how close she had been to 'Ally'. Toriel wasn’t staying in the city, she was located in the Ruins, Underground, where she deemed it safe to raise the little ones. Asgore complied of course, like the doting husband he was. She had her own guards that patrolled the mountain and city in search for children to take and surviving humans to devour their SOULs.

He tugged at his leather collar almost uncomfortably.

What if she discovered that he was moving them as far from there as possible on purpose? She was smart, she called his bullshit once or twice. Look at her, taking down ten guards and piling dust on top of dust.

What was he doing?

Then her eyes met his as she flicked off the dust from her knife and he knew he was completely and utterly fucked. _Thump._

_Thump._

 

* * *

 

The fucking asshole was perched on top of the fucking diner for mere seconds, just enjoying the view. God, you despised him so much in this moment. Flicking off the dust from your butcher knife, you broke the eye contact with the sack of dicks and turned your attention back to the fight.

The more mutts you took down the more you advanced through the debris and made it back to the main street, where the metal spider thing was, which was now gleaming in the fucking sun in the most nightmarish way possible. Funny thing was that the rest of the mutts stayed behind the robotic behemoth, as if afraid of you. Couldn’t blame them, ten piles of dust in several minutes should speak volumes about your skill.

First, you took in its appearance, locating the visors quite easily. If Sans was correct, that meant that if you could take out its sight, then bringing it down was going to be easy. There was that static again and you heard the whirring as it locked on you and was adjusting the cannons on its back.

“Come and get me, you worthless piece of shit!”

Not your best insult ever, but right now you were at a loss of what else to say to make it follow you. Nonetheless, you turned tail and sprung right back through the rubble, climbing over chunks of metal and brick. On your way through, you heard the distinctive movement of the machine, so you glanced back to ensure that it was following, only to see nothing, but a shadow over you. Fuck. You craned your neck towards the sky, where the spider robot had upsurged and was making the full arch over the motel remains and above you. How the fuck could it jump so high?

The metal goliath landed effortlessly on all six feet at least thirty meters ahead, standing like an obstacle between you and the fucking truck you needed to get to. No time to stop now. Fire burning in your eyes, you continued your run, pushing you legs harder into a sprint, heading straight for the robot.

Once again, you could only hear you heartbeat drumming in your ears and you could feel the burn of your calves as your mind calculated the right moment and spot to --ah, there it was. Three meters in front of the robot and you dropped into a feet-first slide, the speed you had gained coupled with the momentum resulted in your safe passage underneath the beast’s belly and legs, until you stopped right behind it.

Quickly, you got up to your feet and sprinted to your destination, jumped and rolled over the hood of the truck, then ducked down where you had previously hidden yourself. Sure enough, the glass bottles were waiting for you.

Panting, you fumbled with the matches just as you felt the vibrations from the ground, knowing that the thing was turning to find you. “C’mon...c’mon!” the first match broke and you screeched in frustration. Second one didn’t light. You swapped it again and again on the side of the box, but nothing, no spark, no nothing.

It was getting closer. _Fuck. Your. Life._

The third time, as they said, was a charm. Your lips curled into a smile and you hurriedly brought the soaking cloth from the first bottle to the small flame. In an instant, the fire spread over it and you jumped to your feet, took a few steps back, heart jumping when you realized how close the arachnide was and how only three meters protected you from certain death.

Then you threw it right at its visors. If there was one thing you were the best at, it was your marksmanship. The bottle hit its target and broke upon impact, the resulting mini-explosion enough to make the machine lurch back. With a victorious grin, you gathered the rest of the bottles and hopped on the hood, firing up one by one and hurling them at the cannons and visors to blind it with as much fire as possible.

When you were out of molotov cocktails and the metal beast was shaking and lurching back and forth trying to find your heat signature, you waited until the thing was close enough, before you continued with your suicidal plan.

Like a predator, you counted its steps and when it was where you wanted it, you leaped off the truck and grabbed its metal hide with both hands, before climbing up over it, between the two cannons. The spider shook and twisted, still trying to find you and you almost got smacked in the face by one of the cannons. That’s when you saw the wires in the small crevices that made metal meet metal, just underneath the thing that made the cannons move so freely. With no second thoughts, you knelt and held on as best as you could with one hand, while you slashed through everything that was wire with the other.

Sure enough, one of the cannons stopped moving. Eureka! Breathing hard, but motivated by your findings, you rolled over and skid by the other cannon, using your knife to slay through its wires showing through the fissures. That disabled both weapons. Now it was a useless piece of metal -- _shit_ , you almost lost your footing when the scrap of metal lurched forward again and rotated. 

But that only gave you a pretty view of something that looked like a box, something you’d usually see for electric generators with keypads. However, it was behind the head of the thing, right between the visors that were like spider eyes, not to add the flames that still roared around it. Well, your hunter outfit was made of insulated material, able to withstand heat, cold and whatever else, but just how much, you didn’t know.

Another powerful lurch and you slipped to the side, almost falling if it weren’t for finding purchase on one of the legs of the beast and being able to climb back up. Okay, you were getting real tired of this shit now. Riding this bitch like a bull was not an option, so you had to take it down for good.

With a grunt, you pulled yourself on your feet and slowly slid down to the neck part, which was contracting and moving so much that you were concerned about one sudden move just crushing your leg. There, you straddled it and because the neck was enveloped in some kind of rubbery soft material, you sunk your butcher knife in there, once, twice, three times, four times, until the movement of the head ceased slowly.

You must have cut a wire or something. Good. Licking your lips, you inhaled sharply and threw your body further towards the visors which were arranged in a 360 kind of way to cover all angles. Ignoring the lick of the flames, you thrusted your knife into much of the glass visors with force you didn’t know you possessed, until you were satisfied.

There was no way you could get the box opened with your bare hands, so you used the switchblade from your boot to pry the metal lid open forcefully until one corner gave in, then, you stuffed that back and turned your body so you could kick it open completely with your boots. The metal soles would act as the perfect bludgeoning item that you needed, so you started kicking at the box earnestly, until it tore half-way open.

By now your suit caught some fire, which meant it was compromised from the previous tears. You bit through the uncomfortable stinging and crawled over the box, squeezing your hand with your knife through the rift you made and alternating between slashing and stabbing blindly through everything, until the beast lurched one more time.

This time, however, you weren’t prepared and you were sent flying over it, your hand ripped from the box as you crashed and tumbled to the ground, setting off dust in your wake and sliding to a stop a few meters away from the beast, on your back and air effectively knocked out of your lungs.

_Fucking hell_ , the world was spinning. You hungrily took in air, breathing heavy as you tried to focus on the metal arachnid, propping yourself on your shaky elbows with blurry eyes.

The thing advanced towards you slowly, and you were sure this was the end of you, but then it rattled, made a whining noise from within and each leg gave in, until it just crashed to the ground in a heap of metal. The whirring and static sound it made just stopped altogether and all the lights on it shut off.

Was it over? Did you manage to bring it down? You gulped down more air and struggled to sit up, to at least crawl away.

Growling made you snap back to attention and halt your movement. Shit, you almost forgot about the guards. At least seven were slowly stalking towards you, snarling and baring their teeth as if trying to corner you and then tear you apart limb by limb.

...

The worst thing was that you were in no position to fight them all. Take one down while you were down? Yes. Take seven? No. With widened eyes and feeling something foreign tugging at your heart, something you never thought you would ever come know, you grasped another knife from your harness and instead of pointing it at them, you brought it to your own throat, blade sharp on your flesh.

This was it. You wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of taking you down. You’d do it yourself.

The thought of dying honorably, filled you with determination.

And then they were blasted into specks of dust by a huge ass animal skull. There was silence again and you were left staring at what used to be a line of dog monsters ready to kill you. Only they were not there anymore, there was only a huge floating skull with red eyes and...him. Sans came up behind the levitating head and gave it a pat before it vanished into thin air.

_What the fuck just happened?_

Your mouth was opened, but no words came out and your eyes just stared blankly in the same spot where some piles of dust were blown by a gentle ass breeze. He...he literally blasted them into dust, with so much ease, with just one...what….the fuck??

The fingers on your knife went slack and the blade just dropped from your hand and clanked on the ground.

Sans only walked calmly over to you and crouched down to be eye-level with you. “ya okay there dollface?” his question didn’t even register in your head, you only looked at him with a lost expression on your face.

_How strong was Sans?_

“can ya walk?” probably not, you noted as you absentmindedly tried to move your legs. Your hunter suit was charred and ruined and you probably sustained some burns. In fact, you didn’t even realize you had been bleeding until you looked down at your slick with blood hand, the one you squeezed through the box and cutting yourself in the process.

Of course, adrenaline kept you distracted, kept you moving, but now every inch of your body was screaming in pain. “i’ll take that as a no, doll. c’mon --” before you had time to protest or say anything, he already hoisted you up in his arms as if you weighed nothing. 

This was getting more and more disturbing.

“looks like i’ll need a stash of monster candy with your luck. ya should’ve taken out the Human Blaster first, would’ve been able ta kill those mutts way faster. been itchin’ here for some action, y’know?” while his words made sense, you couldn’t help but feel bitter. Yeah, he couldn’t be seen or heard and you knew that he would be in a shitload of trouble, probably even killed if found with a hunter and helping said hunter.

Monsters were all about kill or be killed, after all. You were surprisingly calm as he carried you down the street, with the sunset facing you both, as cliche and corny as it was.

* * *

 

It felt odd holding her like this. It felt maddening and right at the same time, so much that he was tempted to never let her go, an instinctual sort of possessiveness surging through his bones and making his SOUL thrum.

Throughout her struggle with the HB he was pacing like a caged lion, his rationality battling with his emotivity and the need to go there and finish that thing. Her cries were making him lurch forward and then backpaddle, stopping himself from acting.

And why was he even like this? Was it the device she put on him? Some kind of side effects that would guarantee her survival? But that made no logical sense. Seeing her like this, watching her fight through this with so much determination, it made something in him snap. But he fought that back, fought it with all he had.

His SOUL was wailing at the familiarity if the feeling, at the pulses of her own, until she was thrown. Then it screamed, and he had to clutch his shirt with a desperation in his eyes that was completely unlike him.

As soon as the robot fell and hounds gathered to tear her apart, he snapped into action, gave into his instincts and obliterated the threat with one of his Gaster Blasters.

It was the fear in her eyes and the blade at her neck that made a growl rumble from his ribcage, a warning that the mutts failed to heed when they were lunging at her. So he killed them all. The seriousness of the situation came back to him after he had securely picked her up in his arms, after he caught himself wishing he could make it okay for her.

This huntress was ready to take her own life, just so the hounds wouldn’t take it themselves. She had been serious about being groomed to kill and die if necessary, but there was fear in her eyes when she put that knife to her throat, dare he say, uncertainty.

No. His decision was absolute. He was going to earn her trust and then imprison her, be her friend until she was shackled and posed no threat whatsoever. “‘partment or house?”

“Apartment.” she replied in a strained voice. “Why? Another patrol-free zone?” this time, her tone took a very sarcastic and mocking streak that he didn’t appreciate very much, but didn’t say anything about it anyway. He had to remind himself that she’d been through enough shit for today.

“yea. this time i made sure s’gonna be that way.”

The Human Blaster wasn’t meant to be on the field yet, so that meant Alphys was pressured into finishing it faster and getting it out. That could only mean that Asgore was concerned with the hunter that wandered around and worried that they might find other radicals and raise a group against them. The king was somewhat of a paranoid, but not a reckless one.

Thus, the HB has been sent in to take out ‘heat signatures’. When he left the first time, he teleported to the first blasting zone, after the machine was gone, only to find human remains in the debris left behind. It was hunting down the last humans left in the city, hiding in areas that were likely overlooked and seen as unimportant before.

This was a purge, their king was flushing out what was left behind from the first raid.

Sans was torn. He had to take her to him, but...he found that there was resistance coming right from the essence of his being. His red pupils dilated as he felt her scorching gaze on his face and he looked down at her, erasing any kind of expression from his face.

The sweating he couldn’t stop, though. She grimaced at the sight and it strained his grin. There was disgust all over her face, yet he pushed through it when her SOUL flared in contradiction.

“i’m gonna tell ya a secret, doll.” at his serious tone, she perked up inquiringly, her expression changing to interest in an instant. “mustard’s my second favorite thing ta eat in bed.”

“Wha--” there it was, her eyes widened and her SOUL pulsed. He took that opportunity to wink. Her face contorted into disgust and made to weakly push against his ribcage.

“I think I can walk again.” she retorted, but his grasp only tightened and she didn’t seem to mind it as much as she made it seem. But she did make a ‘yuck’ sound and glared away from him for the rest of the trip with a furious red hue on her dirty cheeks.

Yeah. He was fucked. _Thump. Thump._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment and kudos if you liked it!  
> you guys know i love hearing from you~
> 
> there's still time to let me know what you think about an undertale version of this!


	13. if you knew you had a hold on me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay guys, back with the new chapter! I also have some news  
> I started the story in the undertale verse, but, well, i'm not going further with more chapters yet. that one was already written for a while, so i decided i'd post it, see if it's well received. go check it out if you wanna! that one is very vanilla, compared to this story, so for those of you that like things lighter, then that one's good.
> 
> regarding this new chapter, let me warn you that there's some sin happening around there  
> a bit darker around the edges and all. but there is some heart-to-heart stuff in the end!  
> hope you'll enjoy it even though it's not as dynamic.
> 
> songs to go with this : Caravan Palace - Midnight ; Fabian Mazur - Earn It (feat. Greyson Chance)

Grillby was unamused.

He had lost some good potential slaves/pets/servants. Healthy ones too, those costed more. Granted, it was his fault, he could recognize that, because he allowed another human servant to see to their meals and hygiene, without doing proper research first.

What human was mad enough to try something like this? Apparently, a hunter.

How did that even escape his keen sense of observation? He re-traced his steps for the past weeks, one by one, went over the servants he owned, the ones that worked for him at the bar he had establish in the heart of the city, went over his books, where he kept names and numbers.

And found the mole.

Frederica, was supposedly, her name. He had interrogated the slaves that were re-captured by Undyne, about this Frederica, and his servants, the ones that interacted with her. Embarrassingly enough, she had been around for a full year, unwaveringly loyal and devoted, following orders to a tee and...essentially a ghost. She never spoke about herself, never made friends with the other human servants and was as quiet as a mouse.

Even after raiding the little room she was staying in with three other servants, he found nothing. She kept no things that really belonged to her, the real her. Only some rags, an empty shoe box, a wig, contact lenses that had been burned and a palette of make-up. Something she might have used to alter her appearance with.

There was nothing.

That night, after he relied the only information he found on the culprit to Papyrus, he took two of the 'problematic' slaves and screwed them mercilessly in all possible ways, until their wails of pain turned to nothing but faint whimpers. Did he kill them? He didn't honestly care. Burned, battered and broken, they remained on his floor unmoving while he redressed and tidied himself up. Usually, he was careful with the merchandise, but now that he already lost the pretty penny they were worth, due to the escapade, well, he fully indulged.

Again and again and again.

If he ever got his hands on that fucking hunter, he would show her the same hospitality. He would put her through worse than this actually, he would show her that Grillby was not to be trifled with, under any circumstance. It was incredible how that petty little thing made his taste for wanton destruction bloom and flourish.

As he came down from his condo upstairs, buttoning his cuffs, there was a certain tension in the air, right behind the door that separated his bar from his domicile. His head twitched to one side and his jagged mouth hitched in a wicked smile.

“My, oh, my.”

The door opened, only to reveal Papyrus, looking quite unpleased, glaring daggers at the fire elemental as he advanced into the kitchen area of the bar. The skeleton’s arms were crossed over his chest and Grillby could practically taste the static anger coming from the other.

“ARE YOU QUITE DONE YET WITH YOUR DECADENT EXPLOITS?” the tall monster asked forcefully, eye sockets narrowing in absolute disgust. “NO MATTER, I AM NOT HERE TO DISCUSS YOUR DEPRAVITY.”

Grillby’s head twitched again in a tilt and his smile grew wider. “Well then, what are you here for, Captain of the Royal Guard?” flattery always worked on this particular monster, something he learned to use well among the years of standing in his presence. Everyone knew Papyrus could be...very passionate when angry or disrespected. In fact, one didn’t even have to directly do these things for the skeleton to deem their behavior ludicrous.

“I AM HERE TO ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE SEEN THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING LAZYBONES.”

Oh. Sans. Ever the doting little brother to that self-deprecating idiot that never paid his fucking tab, no matter how many times Grillby would demand it. Going against Sans meant getting on Papyrus’ bad side, so his only option was to aggressively ask for his payment, only to receive nothing and having to suck it up.

Not that Sans wasn’t a force to be reckoned with. Oh, not many monsters caught him in his golden days, when he would dust another of his kind at the smallest misdemeanor. Now, Sans was only a shell of what he once represented. Thank the stars for that, Grillby wouldn’t know how to handle both skeletons with the same attitude.

“No, I’m afraid I have not. In fact, I haven’t seen him in here for the past three weeks.”

That answer seemed to irk the tall monster, because his magic fizzled viciously and in return, Grillby’s flames flared and bristled. “RIGHT. I SHALL PASS THE MESSAGE FROM KING ASGORE THEN. HE HAS REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE HUNTER WILL BE COMING SOON AND ASKS OF ALL MONSTERS TO BE VIGILANT. THE HUMAN IS TO BE CAPTURED ALIVE...AND UNHARMED.”

What? No. “May I ask why she is wanted alive?”

Papyrus turned glanced away, with a gleaming in his eyes that Grillby hasn’t seen in a very long time. “IT DEFEATED DOCTOR ALPHYS’ CREATION, SINGLE-HANDEDLY. DUSTED MORE THAN A DOZEN OF OUR GUARDS. ALPHYS SAW ITS SOUL BEFORE IT COULD DISPOSE OF THE MACHINERY. IT HAD THE SOUL OF DETERMINATION.”

A shiver ran down Grillby’s back at the mention of her SOUL and the information about her deeds. “I, THE GREAT AND TERRIFYING PAPYRUS, INTEND TO CHALLENGE THE HUMAN. I SHALL CAPTURE IT AND SEE HER SKILL AND DETERMINATION MYSELF!”

There was only one human that Grillby knew had such a SOUL and that was Frisk, back when they were all Underground and Sans brought them to his bar. The strength in their eyes and the determination to show them all kindness, prove them that there was more to their world than destruction and hatred, it had him staring in awe.

Regardless, their end had been tragic. Sans had been made to choose, so in the end, he had to rip the SOUL out of Frisk, for the future of their kind, for the monsters to thrive.

“I see. Very well, thank you for gracing me with your presence to pass such a message.” the purple fire elemental hissed and crackled, but the flattery was lost on Papyrus this time. “IF YOU SEE THAT WORTHLESS MISCREANT, LET HIM KNOW THAT I WILL WANT TO HAVE A WORD WITH HIM.” the rumble that molded with his tone made it clear that a conversation was not what he had in mind with his brother. Grillby’s flames hitched a bit higher -- “Why of course.” he smoothly responded, raising his hand to his glasses and adjusting them.

The skeleton only gave a curt nod, folded his arms behind his back and straightened up before he left the bar through the front area.

 

* * *

 

  
_She was twirling the knife between her fingers, watching her reflection shift with every twist of the handle, her lips curled into a sultry smile tainted with red. It wasn’t lipstick, it was the smear of blood. Her own blood._

_Piles of dust were everywhere he looked, the white specks blown by a gentle breeze through the throne room, swaying the buttercups with the motion. The eerie silence ate at his bones, but he could only gaze upon her, drink her in like a fine wine._

_Two sat in Asgore's throne, one leg over an armrest, dangling childishly, the other relaxed with her heel to the ground. Her hunter uniform was nothing but rags, tattered and clinging over a shoulder, barely covering her breasts and slinging down one arm. The other piece that had managed to survive was a strip that loosely hung over her hips, exposing her delicious thighs, but hiding what was inbetween teasingly._

_Her luscious dark locks fell in waves over her shoulders, disheveled, wild, sprinkled with dust, but so perfect. He wanted to grasp it in his phalanges, twirl it and yank her by it while he took her from behind, like a bitch. A whine left him at the possibility, at the scenario playing in his mind, but all that was halted when she snapped her eyes in his direction._

_A cold chill ran down his spine._

_“Looks like it’s just you and me now, comedian.” she purred, sliding the leg from the armrest off and slowly turning her body in the throne, before she crossed it over the other. Her skin was bruised, broken, burnt and bloody. Wounds and injuries littered her in the most beautiful way possible and it made his SOUL thrum in need._

_As if sensing this, she arched in the golden chair and gave a breathless laugh at his expense. Stars, he didn’t even notice he had knelt before her, but he couldn’t help it. “You are such a freak..” she brought the knife back to her line of sight and turned it this way and that, a devilish smirk splayed over her blood-tainted lips._

_Another whine and a tremble shook his bones._

_Agonizingly slow, she stood from the throne, her bare feet touching the ground soundlessly, buttercups rustling when she stalked towards him, knife still held tight in her hand. “You look like you’re in pain.” her melodious mockery only served to turn him on more. “You want this. You wanted me to do this for you…” the whisper of her voice so close, so intimate, his eyes closed “You disgusting…” a caress over his mandible “...vile…” a yank of his leash “...creature.” and a shove._

_He was at her mercy, on his back, eyes now halfway open, pupils turned to red hearts in his sockets and drool just sliding from his panting mouth. “You’re getting off on this...how pathetic,” but yes, he was so hard, he wanted to beg, to plead._

_Yes. Yes. Yes. He was all of the above. He just...fucking stars. He wanted her to just --”Look at you, salivating like a dog. Fucking your enemy turns you on, huh?” her cunning grin, her bloody face, the way she crawled over him and how her core was burning._

_A helpless whine, his breaths coming up short and she straddled him, her ebony locks falling like a curtain as her eyes captured his. “God, you disgust me.” she whispered to him in the most alluring tone he ever heard and his SOUL sung its desire. His hips bucked underneath her and she groaned, arching with his motion, her pupils dilated, hips reciprocating as she pressed down on him with urgency._

_Shit, he was so hard and he needed her so bad. This was so...so torturous. He tried to desperately move his arms, rip the last bits of her modesty to shreds, ravish her, bite her, fuck her until her throat was sore and she was barely conscious._

_Stars, he...he wanted…_

_“...dipshit.”_

_..._

_What_? “Hey, dipshit. What the fuck is wrong with you?” ----

Sans sat up so fast, he almost headbutted the huntress, his red pinpricks darting to his surroundings as he came to. He could feel his magic prickling, too loose for his liking, so he got that under control, before he gathered himself.

Right.

They were currently in an apartment, been for the past two and a half days since the HB incident. He managed to sneak another monster candy for Two, making sure nobody saw him pop in and out of the city. And if he was honest, living with her has been….kinda nice, a complete opposite of the way him and Papyrus lived, when he always had to watch out, make sure he didn’t say anything wrong or do something stupid.

Stars, he could even do puns, without getting whacked for it.

The dream, that was still vividly there in his mind, even after he woke up. Heh, he didn’t even notice he had been snoozing. Two was staring at him, her hands on her hips.

...hips. _Thump. Thump._

Sweat rolled down his skull suddenly and he settled back on the couch. “what’dya say?” change the topic, change the topic, he kept repeating in his head, a slightly nervous twitch in his grin.

“I asked what was wrong with you.” she spat out, clearly annoyed. “You kept making these weird noises and squirming, then you made the fucking lamp levitate.” --oh shit. Her stern face only made him sweat harder. “uh...thanks for the _enlightenment_?”

She groaned, raised her hands up and walked back into the kitchen. After a few seconds, he heard the tell-tale sounds of her sharpening her knives. Only then did he breathe out his relief and sat up, sliding his hand over his sweaty face.

He was in too deep.

He’s never had those kinda dreams. This was a sign that he needed to get this alliance over with, cut it down from the root. After ten minutes of breathing in and out, the skeleton finally stood up from the couch and followed the path to the kitchen, where he found her sitting on a stool at the island, turning her butcher knife this way and that, as if trying to determine how deep it could cut now that it had been polished.

Just like in his dream. The only difference was that she didn’t even acknowledge him, until he hopped up on the stool across and started the conversation. “listen dollface, maybe we should get a move on, go to the city and get the kid, a’ight?”

“As soon as you tell me where she’s kept, sure.”

“well, the queen lives with the king, so my guess’ that they keepin’ the kids in the city hall.” he began drumming his phalanges on the counter top and bouncing his leg.

“You’re lying.” she muttered calmly, placing the knife aside and picking up a different one. Momentarily, he froze, eye lights dimming and his movement paused. Did she know? How long has she known? “I infiltrated your little group, you seem to forget that. I’ve been undercover for a year, do you think I’ve never been through the city hall?”

It all came back to him as if he dove head first into the lava of Hotland.

_“It’s a hunter!” Doggo butted in, exclaiming that with a snarl._

_“One of them white faced bastards managed to get in!”_

_“Or they were already in and we didn’t know it until the barrier came up.” what Dogaressa added made Sans stiffen, red orbs darting over the trio._

She had --How...this was why she knew Papyrus! It all made sense. How she knew where the slaves were, how she knew where to run. At his silence, she raised her gaze to look at him, only to stiffen. His eye sockets were empty and his grin hitched downward.

“...I take it you didn’t know that.” she snapped him out of his thoughts, his mind piecing things together with the speed of light. Her tone was laced with annoyance, not aimed at him, but at herself. Maybe because she didn’t mean to blurt that piece of information out.

How much did she know about them?

He was suddenly feeling at a disadvantage. She always had the upperhand, while he just flailed in the dark, grasping at straws. “Well, since the cat’s out of the bag…” she added after he continued to remain silent.

“Look, I was undercover as a servant. I’m good at this, nobody could have figured it out. Missions undercover can last a very long time...and…” she sighed, giving up on sharpening her knives completely. Her shoulders slumped and she rested her elbows on the counter, moving her gaze to the upside down mug that she used.

“I didn’t...I didn’t want to be trapped here...I didn’t do it on purpose…never even knew about the whole barrier shit.” her SOUL was pulsing in a very calming way, and he finally got to peer at what she was feeling.

Frustration. Shame. Anger...all aimed at herself. _Thump._

“I was supposed to wait...but…” she brought her hands together, laced her fingers and rested her forehead over them. “I just wanted out. I hated it...I just wanted it to be over with, to go back...home..” the last word was slightly strained, as if she didn’t really believe in its meaning, yet he couldn’t bring himself to say anything, he just stared at her.

This was her truth. _Thump._

“Why are you even helping me? You could just turn me in. Be done with it.” her SOUL thrummed, it flashed a bit brighter right under his eyes. But he wasn’t helping her, he was bringing her closer to the edge. He was breaking his promise and dragging her into something she would never be able to get out from.

“already told ya. made a promise. i ain’t gonna break it.”

Fucking stars! He was a monster, he wasn’t good or kind or...trustworthy. “Guess you’re not so bad after all…” she confessed in a hushed tone and he felt his SOUL twisting as nausea gripped at his bones with a steel hold.

What was he doing?

“yeah yeah, whatever ya say, doll.”

She raised her head and looked at him determinedly. He knew that face. He knew it so well. He was sweating again. “Alright, I found this map in the bedroom. Maybe you could pinpoint exactly where the kids might be and where this barrier generator is located.” as she spoke, her posture changed completely. She was a hunter again.

“I can find the fastest route to the locations, maybe go scouting, see how many guards patrol about and how guarded the places are.” she continued, picking her knife back up and starting her sharpening again “Then I can find some items, make some smoke bombs or something, it would be the best course of action so I’m not seen in case I’m caught, but if I go during the night, I think I can pull it off --”

“hey sweetheart, i’m feelin’ kinda tired. maybe we can do this tomorrow, a’ight?”

She looked at him a bit puzzled, some lingering doubts in her eyes, but she nodded nonetheless. “Yeah, sure. I will go work out a bit, my muscles are still sore.”

Over the last days, she became more open, more...inviting. As if she really considered him an ally. Something shifted and changed and he was overwhelmed. Without leaving any puns behind, Sans slid off the stool and walked back into the living room, more lost than ever before.

Maybe he should sleep on it.

Heh.

_Sleep on it._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to comment and kudos  
> and check out the undertale version of this, let me know in the comments if you liked it or not!  
> love your feedback, ya'll know that <3


	14. this heart ain't built for two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back at it again with a new chapter  
> yep, that's me. so I hope you enjoy this one, it's a tiny bit longer than the usual~  
> on that note, please check out my new undertale fic that's basically a different version of this one, much lighter and tell me your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> songs to go with this : Porter Robinson - Goodbye To A World ; Glass Animals - The Other Side of Paradise

It was nice at first.

Well, it was nice only after those frightening dog demons left, because those scared her so bad, she had been shaking and crying all the way through. Ally had only heard stories about the Underground, mostly from Two, who had spoken of the place that monsters came from, how it would be cool if they could go there.

But the Underground wasn’t cool. It was dark and cold. She didn’t know where she was taken or why she was still awake, conscious, but all that she could do was beg and plead to be left alone, promising to be good, to say nothing.

And the deeper they went, the different it became. Old walls made of burgundy bricks, large wooden doors, red piles of fallen leaves and stone stairs, much like an old castle entrance. Ally was staring in awe at everything, wondering where she was being taken, wondering if she would see others like her.

Then she met Toriel. She was such a nice goat lady. She shunned those mean dogs and picked Ally up in her warm arms, told her that she was now safe and that she was going to be protected from that awful outside world.

And there were more like her, at least fifteen other children, living in Toriel’s house. Ally was so happy and grateful that she could be around kids.

But she learned fast that Toriel was also very strict. They had a curfew, they ate what she wanted them to eat, they had two hours to play and the rest of the time was spent learning, reading, studying and gardening. It was alright for a bit, until another girl, Becky, asked Toriel if she could see her mommy soon.

Toriel yanked her up from the floor where she had been drawing and lifted her up by her collar. “Ungrateful child. Is what I offer not enough?” she had asked, her eyes red and mean. Everyone quieted down as the little girl whimpered.

Toriel dragged her away from the room, kicking and screaming. And Becky was never seen again after that.

A night later, while Ally huddled up to another girl in the same bed, because they had to share the space given how many they were, the few others started chittering, whispering amongst each other. With bated breath, Ally listened quietly, and she could tell by the stiffness of the girl next to her, that she was listening too.

“We have to run. Do you think she won’t do the same to us? Becky…” a boy sobbed “I think she ate her SOUL. I saw her do it once...remember Buddy?” he continued, on the verge of tears judging by the shaky voice.

“There’s no way we can get out of here through the front...the dogs are everywhere…” a slightly older boy muttered. She knew his name, he was Dash, a very smart twelve year old. He reminded her of Two. “I miss mom..I want out of here...I can’t..” the first boy whimpered. A girl then chimed in, using the same hushed voice as them in the darkness of the room. “What if we went out of the door in the basement?”

“No way. She caught Sally there, she ate her SOUL!”

“Yes...I know...but if we’re more, if we all go down there, she can’t handle us all…” her resolve was slowly crumbling, but her voice held strong. If only Two knew where she was, if only Two could come save her. Ally buried her face in the pillow and she felt the girl next to her shift, before a comforting hand patted her head. “It’s going to be okay…” she heard her whisper, reassuringly.

The fat tears rolled down her face regardless. God, she wished her mommy would be here now, she wished Two would come rescue her like she did before.

Ally weeped silently, the whispers of the other children becoming nothing by a soothing background noise as she slowly drifted asleep.

 

* * *

 

What was his deal exactly?

You kept asking yourself that as you watched Sans nap on the couch. Again. You’ve been in this apartment for four fucking days already and he was making no move, no puns, no nothing to even make you believe he wanted to actually help you with this.

Yes, he saved you. Two times already. On that note, you realized that the number two was forever going to haunt you. You scrunched your face and glared back through the window, at that annoyingly blue sky and the faint shimmer of the barrier. It didn’t matter, he promised you he would help you get Ally back, so why wasn’t he making a damn effort?

It’s as if he closed down completely after the conversation yesterday. Did it affect him that much that you had been able to infiltrate their little squad? He made it seem like it was fine, like it didn’t matter, but obviously it did matter, more than you could understand.

Since then, he barely even moved, just kept opening an eye to check on you when he thought you weren’t looking and then turning on his other side.

And it was getting on your nerves.

Purposefully, you stood up from the window sill seat, knocking down a few pillows and blankets you had drowned into during your sleep and marched to the couch, where the skeleton was sprawled out, snoring.

Should you yell at him? Shake him? Boy, did he look weird as fuck.

You never actually got the chance to look at him properly, what with all this chaos going on and always being actively on the run, so for the first time in a long time, you paused and stared, took him in.

Height and weight were --you should probably stop being such a clinical observer. You looked him in the eyes when you spoke, so you could only assume he was about your height, a 5’2” give or take a few inches. He looked...well...fat, not fat...he was chubby? But you couldn’t understand how a skeleton could manage that. Then again, maybe the whole big puffy jacket had something to do with it.

He almost never took it off.

His bones were white, stark white, and they looked big, melded together as if he had a body made of bones instead of respecting the anatomical shape of the human skeleton. All in all, he looked very sturdy.

You still didn’t figure out why he had a dog collar around his neck, or why the leash was made of chain. Either way, he was loving his red t-shirts that went with his whole theme, that and the yellow socks with red sneakers. Did he ever change those basketball pants? Well, he did have moments when he disappeared, during the first day in this apartment, so he might’ve changed for all you knew.

The most disturbing part about him, though, was that unsettling grin of his, coupled with the shark-like teeth and the single golden tooth, a grin that seemed permanently etched onto his face. A curious thing you noticed was that he had a tongue, a red slimy looking tongue and what looked like red circles under his eyes instead of the human black circles. It wasn’t a bad look, in fact, it made his eyes more...intense. How did he even get those?

You simply scored one up to ‘ _magic_ ’. He did sweat, so why couldn’t he have more normal bodily functions and...organs. Momentarily, you gaze flicked to his crotch and then you shuddered.

_Yeah, no._

With a huff, you decided you wouldn’t wake him up. You could do this by yourself.

Before you got stuck here, you had nobody to depend on other than yourself, so why did this have to be different? Just because he probably knew where the kids were and you didn’t? After all, the generator, you already pinpointed where it was, you just didn’t specifically knew where it was kept or how to operate it.

He seemed smart enough to know, but with how things were looking on his end, maybe you’d have to start thinking of an alternative.

With one last glance at your companion, you skirted around the couch and went straight into the bedroom, where you fished out the map and unrolled it on the floor, then dumped a bunch of colorful pens and crayons on it.

Time to re-draw the barrier and find the best routes available. Then, you would have to make a list with ingredients for smoke bombs...wait, could you possibly find a junkyard around here? Or an army shop. Oh damn, that would be pretty awesome.

The junkyard sounded a bit more available, because an army shop would probably be closer to the center.

Ugh.

...

An hour later, you had finished with everything and you looked proudly at the map, streets lined with green and red, a symbol of which were safe and which weren’t based on how exposed or hidden they were. Mostly you stuck to the small, narrow ones, because those would be your best bet in getting close enough.

The list with materials you needed was on the back of the map, so that you’d have both with you and not complicate yourself uselessly with papers. Now you needed to go out and try to find the junkyard.

Wherever that was. The center was out of question, so it had to be on the outskirts.

“what’cha doin’ dollface?”

You whipped your head to the doorway with a sharp inhale. How did you not see him in the doorway? Sheepishly, you looked between the map and him, then away, not sure how to approach the subject.

“I’m...making a plan.”

“for?” but he already knew the answer by the way his eye sockets narrowed “thought i told ya i’d--”

“No…” you interrupted him suddenly, standing up from the floor and coming up to him so you could look him in the eyes “I’m not gonna wait any more. For all I know she could be dead. Every second is important and we’ve been here for four days already! I’m not gonna just fucking do push-ups all day and wait for you to make up your mind --” you stopped, this time looking away with a frown.

“Look...I get it. If you can’t help me any more, then I get it, because they are your people after all and you could get in a shit ton of trouble, but out there...she’s my people, I need to find her. That kid needs me.” as you explained this to him, with small breaks in between, you moved around, folded the map and stuffed it in the back pocket of your washed up jeans that clung a bit too uncomfortably to your legs.

“i told ya i made a promise an’ i’m gonna keep it. i just need more time to--” he fumbled for the right words, his skull sweating again. “Can you guarantee that she will be alive and unharmed when you decide its the right moment? Be honest.”

His silence said everything you needed to know. The stories about Toriel had been around for a while and you heard them as well. It was crazy to think such an unstable mind could be capable of caring for children, not when she lost two of them so tragically and was known to..to absorb SOULs of servants.

“That’s what I thought.”

“wait. dollface, c’mon, lemme just--” but before he could say anything more, you stepped up to him again and shot your hand forward to his mouth, hooking two fingers up behind his upper teeth and yanking him closer to your face by them.

“I get it. You don’t have to make up anymore excuses. I’m grateful for what you’ve done so far, don’t get me wrong. I’m…” you let go of him and wiped your hand on your thigh “...to be honest, I’m impressed with how much your words mean to yourself and doing this for me...keeping your promise to me, that’s really brave and admirable.” as you said these, you looked away, embarrassed that you were actually saying this.

“Maybe I misjudged you. Maybe we...God, I can’t believe I’m saying this. Maybe we fucking deserved this wake-up call. We fight amongst each other and we did a lot fucked up shit...so maybe we deserved this, but so does your kind, I mean, look at what they did...we’re all to blame, but what do I accomplish by staying here and doing nothing?”

You finally mustered the courage and looked him in the eyes, just now noticing how he looked at you, how awestruck he was staring at you. “Look, Sans, I’m not ready to let go. I must’ve survived all this shit for some reason. I’m not ready to lose hope and give up on what I think is right and I won’t stop until I see that little girl safe and sound.”

“So if you wanna help me, then that’s great, if not, that’s fine by me too. I’ll take that thing off and you can be free. Either way, I’m going out to find the junkyard.”

 

* * *

 

Two hours later, you were poking around through scraps of metal and junk, while Sans was kicking something on a mountain of broken down and crashed cars, if you were to judge by the clanking noises he made. You paused your search just to look in his general direction, only to see him pulling some kind of pole out from between two cars and struggling with it.

You just shook you head and returned to your task.

Oh, was that a chainsaw? Now distracted, you pushed away a toaster and shoved an old TV out of the way and sure enough, there was a chainsaw. You quickly picked it up from the rubble and flopped on your ass, inspecting it and seeing if it could be fixed in any way.

Suddenly there was a loud thud. Your head snapped in Sans’ direction, only to see that he fell from the pile of cars, holding the pole in his hands and spewing curses. Looks like he managed to wrangle that free.

Before you could stop it, a snort left you and he was quick to hear that, sitting up with a glare aimed at you and dusting himself off. “what’re ya lookin’ at?!” talk about bad tempers.

You decided you’d ignore that and go back to fondling this nice piece of work, but his heavy footfalls told you he was not done just yet. It was a bit unsettling how relaxed you were, even as you felt him growing closer.

“what ya got there?” at his inquiry, you just smirked. “Chainsaw. Looks pretty damaged, maybe even dull, but if I could fix it...hell, can you even believe how many monsters I’m gonna dust with--” _shit_. You stopped yourself before you blurted out more insensitive crap and looked up at him with a bit of an apologetic expression.

He didn’t seem fazed by your words, though. “But...I don’t think it’s fixable...so..” you just put it down remorsefully. It was too broken, you were positive you couldn’t make it work, not when you were an amateur at mechanics and other shit like that.

You were about to stand up and go back to the bag of things you found in the junkyard, when he suddenly threw the pole at you. Instinctively, you raised your arms up, but the metal clattering next to you, made you peek up at Sans. Snarling, you felt a wave of rage bubble up in you. Why the fuck was he treating you like this and who the fuck did he think he was?

“What the fuck is your problem?!”

“just take the damn thing and shuddup.” he grumbled out, making you stop with a sour expression on your face. He tried to get that for you? Why was that weird? It was similar to how a cat brought you a dead mouse because it loved you...in a very twisted way.

Nonetheless, you complied and picked the pole up in your hands, testing its weight as you stood up. You swung it back like a baseball bat and were pleased to notice that it felt right, not too heavy, not too light and not too long, but not short either. It was perfect for bashing some skulls in.

 _Skulls_. What the fuck Two?

All the while, Sans watched you with his usual resting bitch face on, as you’ve come to call it in your mind, because it definitely resembled one, attitude and appearance wrapped together. God, you were becoming too fine with this, and it was kind of bothersome. Then again, you were trained to be adaptable, but you couldn’t shake off this instinctual doubt, despite the guy doing things right and not trying to kill you anymore.

“Alright, I’m gonna keep this. Now do you recall seeing any potassium nitrate back at the apartment?” you asked, resting the pole on your shoulder as you turned to look at him directly.

He seemed to filtrate that question, raising a brow bone at you, before he quickly caught up on what you wanted to do. “nah, but i can get ya some, dollface.” his tone became slimy again. Well, not slimy, but it had that creep-like quality to it, and that was fine, because you could deal with this part of Sans.

What you couldn’t deal with was his silence, because that was unpredictable and it was like having a dog around. You didn’t know what it was thinking or it was going to bite you or wag its tail.

“Perfect. I’ll need a few packs if it’s possible.” now you were more at ease, because you began preparations to save Ally at last. The fact that this was happening, made you less irritable and he seemed to notice that by the way his red eye lights shifted almost mischievously and how his grin hitched higher.

At least he was willing to help you still.

This conversation considered over in your opinion, you went over to the bag you brought along, where you already had salvaged a few items, more specifically, some hard cardboard tubes, some empty plastic bottles, more cardboard and a gas mask that you had to fix, found in the trunk of a crashed car.

“hey...doll,” why did he sound so nervous? You picked up the bag and slung it over your shoulder, before you glanced back at him expectantly. He was sweating bullets. “Yeah?” you tried encouraging him, a subtle nudge to continue.

“i hav’ta tell ya somethin’...” his tone sounded serious and that raised some red flags. You set your jaw, teeth clenching. The red eye lights were anywhere but on you and his body language spoke volumes. You knew enough about reading someone to understand these signs and suddenly, your were a hunter again and your senses were heightened to the point that you could hear the static in the air.

A howl resounded in the distance.

Shit. Sans and you both looked in the same direction. “Fuck. Okay…” you inhaled deeply and held the pole up, determination crossing over your face, brought along with a deep frown.

“I’m gonna go hide in that car over there. The chances of me being seen there are slim and it should offer me cover and enough time to get some car oil on my body, that way I will mask my -- _ah_!” before you could continued, Sans had marched up to you while you were looking over at the car you were talking about and just bent down, grabbed your knees and hauled you over his shoulder with a grunt.

“What are you doing!?” you hissed, wiggling under his arm that so conveniently rested on your butt. “I have this! Listen to me! Put me down, you bag of dicks!” not that you couldn’t maneuver your way out, but at the same time you were also curious about what he was going to do.

Then a wave of nausea and vertigo and everything that was awful in this world, just hit you, all at once and so fast that you couldn’t even breathe.

And it all stopped abruptly.

You went completely stiff over his shoulder, eyes blurry and stomach knotting painfully. He teleported you both, you concluded in a moment of lucidity, before he dropped you on the bed slowly.

He brought you two back in that same apartment.

Not that you were complaining. You were too busy trying to keep everything down as you just laid there quietly with your eyes closed, in hopes that it would just go away. For a solid ten minutes, there was just silence, but you knew he was still there, just staring at you. It was something you couldn’t explain, but you could feel him.

“listen, what i wanted to say earlier’s --” he was silenced when you just raised a hand to stop him before you just threw up. “Not now.”

He grumbled something under his breath and was gone in the next second. You opened an eye to make sure your senses were right and sure enough, he vanished.

 

* * *

 

Sans was incredibly frustrated. Her words, her actions, her fucking SOUL...it felt like Frisk was actually having a laugh at his expense, guilt-tripping him and taunting him in the most torturous way possible. Was this his punishment? Seeing those eyes so determined to be good and do good? Feeling for them and having to make that choice again?

 _But she was not Frisk_. What he felt for her was strong and maddening. It did things to his head, it made him think, made him sleeplessly worry that if he brought her to the city, she would be done for. Alphys was going to take her SOUL and study it if she ever got to see it, because determination was not something you just came upon easily.

She was going to be killed, if not tortured to death.

Papyrus would want a round with her, just a chance to crush her. Everyone in there wanted her dead and the best case scenario was that she would end up broken beyond repair in slavery to Grillby. Was he really willing to do this?

He tried telling her. He finally summoned the courage to tell her the truth, that the kids weren’t in the city and she was going there for nothing...but then all of that left him. The coward in him trembled with the fear of rejection, paranoia of her suddenly turning against him, grasping at his ribcage in the most painful way.

Sans cowered away, just thinking of the consequences. He should continue with his plan. He should do it for himself and Papyrus.

_‘I’m not ready to let go. I must’ve survived all this shit for some reason. I’m not ready to lose hope and give up on what I think is right’_

_‘Maybe I misjudged you.’_ no, she hadn’t. She saw right through him. Saw him for the monster and useless piece of shit he was. He whimpered pathetically to himself as he stared at the packs of potassium nitrate that she asked for. Alone, in the warehouse where Alphys kept her stuff, Sans contemplated, fought with himself and against the reality that he created for himself.

What was right?

 _She felt right_. When he scooped her up, when he watched her sharpen her knives, when she looked at him differently and said those things. That felt right.

He recalled that moment when something snapped within him, when he saw fear in her eyes for the first time, that knife at her throat, ready to lay her life down, sacrifice it so it wouldn’t be taken by those...monsters. He was one of those monsters.

This was no longer just about him wanting to bend her over and fuck her into a mess. His SOUL was reaching out for hers and he needed to be around her. He even tried to buy himself as much time as possible, more time with her.

More. More. _More._

When he returned with the packs, she was mingling with some cardboard tubes in the kitchen, a lot of items sprawled over the island and counter tops. As if feeling his presence, she raised her gaze from tinkering with the materials and smiled up at him.

_And his whole fucking world came crashing down._

_..._

Neither of them said anything, he just watched her as she worked, weighted, created, made her little constructs into what she explained were smoke-bombs. Stars, she had a whole plan made up and he could only sit on that stool across from her and just stare at her while she talked and detailed, trusted him with information she wouldn’t tell another soul.

“And smoke-bombs would minimize the chances of me confronting or being confronted, therefore, dusting less or no monsters at all.” her voice was making him squirm. How clueless she was about what his plans and struggles were.

“heh. sounds _explosive_.” he made a half-assed attempt at a pun, to which she groaned and went back to gluing together the cardboard. This was her fifth smoke-bomb. 250 grams of baking soda, sugar and potassium nitrite. “Are you seriously making puns about bombs?”

“i know ya got a _short fuse_ but there’s no reason to go _nuclear_ on me, doll.” his grin was a bit strained, but she didn’t notice. Instead she gave him a look and shook her head, her lips pulling in a very faint smile that just made him whine internally.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

“so what ya gonna do now?”

“Well, I needed to make these. Now I have to go scouting, get an idea of what’s waiting for me there. Tomorrow night would be the best moment. After that, I’m going in.”

“sounds like a _blast_.”

“Ugh. I swear to god, I will rip your arm off and beat you with it.” she said that same line to him some time ago, when they were at each other’s throats, but this time, her tone was playful, cheeky and just ripping him apart.

“think i’d like that, dollface. wouldn’t _missile_  it for the world.”

“You horrible bag of bones.” she was distracted, smiling at him without any more walls or thoughts to keep her from it, unrestrained. “sorry, but i’m tryina’ have an _impact_ here, y’know?”

Stars, his SOUL was singing. Felt like being high or some shit. He was watching her, elbows on the counter, mandible resting on top of his folded arms, eye lights bright and grin flinching as reality slowly came down upon him.

“listen...i lied…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to kudos, comment and bookmark guys!  
> i love hearing your feedback, it keeps me inspired and makes me smile!


	15. i'm a hazard to myself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning!!! there's smut in this one. if you wanna skip it, move over the italicized part.  
> buuuut yep, here I am with the update~ hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> also, let me thank everyone for the wonderful comments, i loved it all and feel so supported and inspired by you all <3  
> thank you thank you thank you~ I will probably update the other fic in the Undertale universe soon as well, so stay tuned!
> 
> songs to go with this : Kill Paris - I Do Love You ; Galantis - Hunter (KVMO Remix)

Time itself stood still.

He told her everything. Admitted that he was never going to keep his promise, that he lied to her only to get her to the others and imprison her, that he always knew where the kids were and how he planned to cross her.

Betray her. Leave her to rot in their hands.

Even that he was still conflicted on what he had to do. That he --”...’cause you’re a hunter in the end and i’m a monster, sweetheart.”

“ ’s ‘always been that way. _kill or be killed_.”

Through it all, she stayed quiet, but her expression became more and more unreadable, guarded. He couldn’t blame her, he just wanted her to know, to understand...to not give up on him just yet.

“It’s okay, Sans.” she had assured him, looking away. He couldn’t see her face, he couldn’t read her or -- _fuck_ , her SOUL was dimming and his, stuttered painfully.

“...sweetheart?”

She glanced up at him with a strained hint of a smile, her blue eyes seemingly warm, and he might have believed that with his whole being if it weren’t for the dull color of her SOUL, no longer pulsing and brilliant, but a muted red.

“It’s fine, really. Guess I should make another plan then, huh? I’m gonna go over the map again, it’s no big deal.”

It was fine for her to feel hurt, he knew it would take a while, but she reacted much differently than he had anticipated. Cautiously, he watched her arrange the smoke-bombs she had made and then washed her hands. “I’m finished here, I’m gonna head to bed. Can I have a cigarette?”

His eye lights shifted over her face, but she looked... _fine_. Slowly, he fished out his pack of smokes and flipped the lid open, angling it for her to take one. “Thanks. You can take the bed, I wanna sleep in the living room.”

Okay, he could accept that. He usually slept on the couch and her on the windowsill seat, but he could take this, he could accept her being upset with him, at least this was a reaction. It didn’t stop the desperation he felt at seeing her walking away from him and he had to bite down the instinct to follow.

Since when did he become this...this _pathetic_?

He swallowed down his pride and his instincts and whatever the fuck his SOUL was trying to make him feel and blipped out of the kitchen and into the bedroom, giving himself no opportunities to see her and change his mind. The door was closed and the very faint smell of cigarette smoke permeated the air, which meant she was doing that just outside these walls. Alone. 

 _Space_. Yeah, he’d give her some space.

Yeah, she would be better tomorrow, right? _He was lying to himself again_. Who would stand someone like him, as useless as him, after he did what he did, after he told her these things. Papyrus was right. He was a cowardly useless piece of shit that couldn’t even defend himself, what was he thinking? Keeping her safe and all...those were only the hopes and dreams of a fool.

Only fools like him would do this, bite more than they could chew. He wasn’t Papyrus, he wasn’t Asgore or Undyne...he was just Sans. The skeleton monster that had been brave and feared once but was reduced to nothing but a nuisance, humiliated for all to see, by Papyrus. He was the brother, the lazy, good-for-nothing brother...

It was normal, though, so he could never bring himself to blame him for anything. Papyrus only did what he believed was right, what he saw others do and what he learned he had to do in order to become someone that was feared.

But with her, he felt like he had to...no, needed to do something. As if she could snap him out of his nihilistic existence and bring him back to the surface.

From the moment he saw her SOUL so vulnerable and exposed, so her, so essentially her and so intimate. It felt as if he could see into her, through her, taste her and his SOUL responded by lurching forward, attempting to make her feel safe and --stars, he needed sleep.

Sans sighed and groaned to himself as he sat down on the edge of the bed, before letting his back fall on the soft mattress as well. His eyes lowered slowly, each blink bringing his eyelids closer and closer to shutting off completely.

...Mmm.

_And there she was again, her eyes sparkled with mischief, lips curled into that devilish smile of hers that only widened when he stared back as if in a daze. Her thighs felt warm around his hips and he languidly trailed his phalanges on the naked flesh. “Sans the skeleton?” she purred, her chest on his ribcage, breasts pressed into a luscious panoramic sight of her cleavage. She was wearing a towel, like that time he fought her in the motel room._

_“More like, Sans the cowardly dog.” she added mockingly, her scorching hot core over his crotch, making him inhale sharply at the twitch of her pelvis. They were back in the throne room on top of those forsaken buttercups, but she was no longer battered and bruised, she had that smell of rain and lilies, a smell that was so inexplicably her and inundated his senses._

_Fuck. Not again. He couldn’t stop himself anymore, he couldn’t handle any more of this --”please…” he whined at her, eye lights dimming. She let a breezy laugh fill the room and it was like the most beautiful thing he had ever heard, but then she sat up, no longer leaning over him and that’s when he groaned out his need. Her heat pressed down hard over his length and he didn’t even realize he had made that happen or that he was so hard._

_The towel slipped from her body and he shivered at the view, feeling starved and wronged at the same time. “Just look how pathetic you are...you will never have what you want. You can’t even stand on your own two legs.” she taunted him again, rolling her hips and grinding onto him. It was hardly fair._

_His eyes rolled back and he opened his mouth with another breathless whine. “i...i...can’t...please..” he pleaded with her as she continued the agonizing pace, her breathing becoming erratic at the friction and his phalanges suddenly finding a grip on her thighs, sinking into her flesh._

_“You worthless…” a sigh “..pathetic...excuse of a monster.” her voice hitched higher, but then her movements completely stopped and he felt his magic fizzle and spark like electricity. Those words, that’s what he’s been called by...no. No._

_“no..” he grunted out, his hips bucking up into hers “i’m not…”_

_“No?” she laughed lazily, raising to her knees so that he couldn’t get the touch he wanted. “You lay there and take it. Like you always have.” she let her hands fall to her thighs, slowly trailing up her curves, to her stomach and breasts, a wicked grin at how hard he tried to sit up and do something. Touch her, feel her and breathe her._

_He needed her. He fucking needed her, everything she had. He wanted her like nothing else he ever wanted._

_A growl rumbled through his bones, so feral that she looked at him surprised, but not quite impressed. “Aw, you don’t like that? Secretly you want me to do this for you. To go out there and kill everything for you, to take all this humiliation away from you, because that’s all you are, a cowar--” before she could continue, he jerked up and grabbed her throat, twisting them both and slamming her down on her back, with him between her legs. Yellow petals scattered at their abrupt wrestle._

_“shut the fuck up.” his voice trembled with unrestrained rage as he pushed down on her windpipe, watching her eyes widen in shock and hands clawing at his boney wrist. “i’m gonna show ya what i am, doll.” he managed to spat between pants. His grin turned dark and menacing as he kept her down with one hand, the other pulling down his basketball shorts just enough to free his painfully hard erection. “S-sans…” she mewled at how tight he held her neck, but he didn’t even glance up at her as he stroked himself once, twice and lined up._

_“Sa --sa..ahhh..” he slid in with a merciless snap of his hips, setting a punishing rhythm from the start, left eye blazing red like a fire and mouth prying open as he panted harder and harder. She was so right and so wet, her muscles inviting him in, sucking him deeper._

_Oh stars, he was losing it. He thrusted into her erratically, desperately trying to feel her, all of her and the moans that adorned his ears were sublime. The way she tightened around and wantonly moaned his name like a sacred mantra, only served to make him pound into her harder, deeper, faster._

_More. More. More!_

_Faster. “f-fuck ...i fucking need ya..” he groaned out, watching as he disappeared inside of her, how she just swallowed him all in and how perfect a fit she was, her slick walls clenching every time he drew out and shoved back in to the hilt. Was it a bad time to spill his emotions like that? “..two, you’re gonna ...hnnn” he was drooling and his pupils turned into small hearts, his SOUL exploding. Closer. Closer._

_Thump._

_Fucking stars, she felt amazing, she felt so right. His phalanges only tightened around her throat and she was having a hard time breathing, but he never once stopped, even when she spasmed underneath him and cried out her release. He fucked her through it without pause, a snarl twisting his face as she arched and choked, making such lewd noises. Just for him._

_Just for him._

_“fuckin’ need ya…” he repeated that over and over again, pace getting more aggressive, more shallow, until he felt it. That rush, that desire, bundling into something and --”stars, i need ya!” he whined pathetically, leaning down into her, hand sliding from her throat and being replaced with his teeth on the bruising skin. He rested on his elbows, breathing her in, phalanges digging into her dark locks._

_One more hard thrust and he groaned as he came inside her, continuing in rough small thrusts, giving her all he had, all he could. Her legs shifted by his hips and he felt her hands caressing the sides of his skull. “I know.” her voice was rasped, breathless as he spilled himself into her, slowing down to nothing but twitching in tandem with her muscles._

_He whimpered and buried his face into her neck, remaining like that, unmoving. “I know…” he held her tighter. He needed to feel her closer, desperately._

_“I know…”_

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

“---I know. That’s why we have been sending out trusty patrols out there to find this naughty perpetrator, because we owe it to every monster out there to keep them safe and sound~”

What?

He opened his eyes slowly, reality washing over him in waves of guilt and need. There was light coming from the windows and he was still in bed, fully dressed, with the TV on. Did he turn it on? He couldn’t remember doing that before he just passed out.

The dream, though. It came back to him in flashes and he could feel his bones getting hot just by that. None of it was real. That was the second thing that be became aware of.

_Nothing._

He sat up, taking in his surroundings bitterly. He felt like something was missing, he felt a bit lighter, like something had been taken from him. Absentmindedly, he reached under his shirt to scratch that itch on his spine, where her stupid device was --why was the device not on his spine anymore? Eye sockets widening, he raised his t-shirt up, looking almost incredulous at his bare bones.

Then he turned and glanced over the bed. It couldn’t have fallen off, he slept in the same position all night.

So where…

If he would’ve had a heart, it would’ve sunk into his stomach, but since he had none of those, he could only feel the dread. In an instant, he teleported to the living room. There was her sleeping place, empty. Her bag was gone.

He then ran into the kitchen, hoping desperately to see her there, sharpening her knives, eating her stupid cans of sweet corn. _It was empty_. Her smoke-bombs were gone, her knives were gone and certain drawers had been opened. As if she packed in a hurry.

All the tools she used were gone. The device on him was gone.

His breathing became labored and he started sweating, turning this way and that, panicking and trying to figure out what to do.

_What now?_

_Where was she?_

_Did she leave?_

“two?! sweetheart?” with dimmed eye lights and grin downwards, he rushed to the bathroom, almost breaking down the door in his haste, but found nobody there. “dollface!?” he clutched his shirt over his ribcage, feeling his SOUL frantically searching for hers.

“...sweetheart?!!” his voice became more and more desperate and in his panic, he started looking over the apartment again, only to find no traces that she’d ever been there.

_She left._

She left _him_.

He screamed for her again, but nobody came. He didn’t understand. He told her the truth, why did she _abandon_ him? Abandon? What a term.

How unusual. This wouldn’t do. He wouldn’t let it, he refused to let go when it was finally clear to him.

* * *

 

Night found you in a broken down warehouse, on the very outskirts of the city, sharpening your knives inside an office. It wasn’t a necessary task, but it kept you busy and busy was good. The taste of betrayal was still fresh on your tongue and you kept chiding yourself.

What did you expect, Two? That he was actually a good guy looking out for you? As your father often said ‘everyone has ulterior motives’, what you didn’t expect was for the truth to sting you so bad. It wasn’t as much about your hurt pride as it was for your instincts and you not listening to them in favor of naively believing that there was more to their kind than the council was showing.

That maybe everyone misjudged them.

He did come clean...eventually. Thankfully, a day apart from you getting captured. What hurt the most was knowing that he knew all this time and led you away from Ally. That kid had been so close, you had been so close to her and he didn’t say shit.

He came clean before it could get out of hand. 

Yes, but that’s why you let him live instead of dusting him while he was sleeping. You even freed him for good, not that you didn’t need the device back anyway, but still. Didn’t change the fact that you just wanted to toodle the fuck out of there asap.

You gave him his freedom back, as a reward for helping you up to this point and telling the truth. It didn’t mean that you wouldn’t kill him if he came after you, though. Before anything else, you were a hunter and that happenstance only solidified that.

So, you calmly set your knife aside, next to the other ten you collected and shoved the rolling chair back the desk behind you, twirling around to face the device you took from Sans, which was currently sprawled about in bits on the wooden surface, alongside screws and other small tools you used.

While you smoked that last cigarette on your windowsill seat, looking through the glass at your faint reflection, you slowly pieced together a plan, a new one and collected your thoughts, pulled yourself together. Deciding whether to kill him or not had also been a conflicting battle between your huntress and your humane side. The question that had solved everything was: 'what good could come out of killing him?' --None.

But he was a potential threat. The huntress whispered in your ear seductively. 

Slender fingers mingled with some wires as you thought back to that, scrunching up your face sourly and jutting out your lower lip in a bratty pout. Just because you were groomed for this didn’t mean you had to abandon your morals and principles.

There.

You had to modify some stuff on the device to make it operational again. Mainly a reset of the system and then recharging it to have it ready. This time, you tapped in the code to have it set to your needs, just in case. Mentally, you thanked the physics teacher you had been assigned during training.

Not that you were bright like the engineers, but you had been called clever and resourceful before.

Hastily, you put the device back together and had it plugged in while you continued to fiddle with the commands and buttons again. The goat _bitch_ \--s’cuse the language, you meant queen, was residing in the Ruins and that meant you had to go back up that mountain and then Underground.

Thankfully, you were pretty sure they installed ladders so you could climb up and down the hole. There were patrols and an unknown number of guards in that piss-pool, however, and that dampened your mood further. Couldn't anything be easy? You pushed yourself away from the desk, to the side, where there was a table with three walkie-talkies on it. When you found this warehouse, broken down enough to not draw attention or make anyone suspect someone was actually staying inside, you also stumbled upon several useful things.

The walkie-talkies, which you had to fix, a nail gun, protective glasses, kneepads, first-aid kit and a chain. You took all of these, of course, and then inventoried each item you already had, along with the smoke bombs you made. So far, you were well armed and since you left in the morning, you’ve managed to find this place, gather stuff, fix what needed fixing and make a plan. Add the little breaks during which you also ate your canned goods that you took when you ran off.

And to be honest, you were pretty darn proud of yourself.

For a moment, you really wished One was with you, because he was usually the voice of reason, the guy with the ideas and guerrilla tactics, whereas you were the action chick. This was completely out of your comfort zone, but so far, you were doing well. That was an ego-booster you needed, in light of recent events.

Sighing, you swayed with the rolling chair until you were back at the first desk, raising your legs up and placing them over it with a yawn. 

You would nap for now. Tomorrow was action time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to kudos and comment if you enjoyed it! bookmark and all that~  
> love your feedback, ya'll know this! <3


	16. can't sleep love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long delay guys! school and exams and ugh...orz  
> anyway! we are slowly approaching the end, this chapter marks the beginning of the end, so to say  
> hope you're going to enjoy it! please don't forget to bookmark, review, favorite and all the good stuff!  
> your feedback inspires me, really~ 
> 
> songs to go with this : Two Feet - Love is A B*tch ; Polarize - twenty one pilots

It was this thrill that got you hooked in the first place. The knowledge that you knew and they didn’t. That you could see them but they couldn’t see you even if they tried. This was scouting, getting to know your target, watching them, understanding their patterns and calculating their reaction time, predicting their thoughts and actions, gestures…  
  
Much like people watching.  
  
You used to do that a lot too, when you weren’t on mission, when you were allowed to take the day off after a successful outcome of some menial task that you were looking forward to complete and be done with. You didn’t interact, you just sat and watched, almost fascinated, learning and recharging your batteries.  
  
It’s not that you weren’t allowed to do it before, but it was different when you did it just for the sake of doing it instead of being forced to do it for an end goal. That’s how you learned the secrets of body language and facial expressions, even the miniscule ones that betrayed the deepest feelings and true desires of another individual. From the miniscule grimace, a forced smile to the way the eyes lied when the brows twitched a certain way.  
  
That’s how you learned to control your own facial expressions to almost perfection, in a very sociopathic sort of manipulation. Flawlessly, you fooled and lied and nobody knew. It didn’t mean you didn’t have feelings...you had quite a lot of personal opinions and ideas, but there was nobody could rely those on, nobody you genuinely trusted with the darkest depths of your being and the truth you sheltered. It was easier to just do as they said, say what they wanted to hear, because it would be over with faster.  
  
For example, you had been angry when you were given this mission, a bad feeling spreading in the pit of your stomach, yet you said nothing about it. Took it without questioning like the good obedient hunter you were groomed to be. Yes, emotions, you knew well. Exclusively pride, greed, anger, panic, and that thrill of a good fight where the odds were against you, even pure unadulterated rage.  
  
Now, betrayal, that was a spectre you never dipped your toes in. Not until Sans.  
  
Disappointment. Hope. Friendship. Feeling as if you could finally believe in someone, in that broken and mangled skeleton monster, thought that you could trust him, no matter how messed up he was. There had been, for a short period of time, a shred of hope that you had found someone that maybe understood and listened.  
  
You were messed up too, you knew. And hope was a cruel mistress, the worst kind of torture. It was that brightly naive part of you that was trying harder than ever because you thought you might make it.  
  
No, from now on, you would create your reality.  
  
Carefully, ever so carefully, you made your plan, step by step, taking into account every possible outcome, until it was the perfect logical and intricate masterpiece you wanted it to be. A smirk curled over your lips as you stood perched on a thick branch of a tall tree. Surrounding the hole to the Underground were tall pine trees with sturdy enough branches that you could sit on without worry of them breaking under weight.  
  
For the past four days, you have been observing the patrols, how many guards came out or went in, taking note if they were different ones each time and approximating just how many of them hid inside, what type of monsters they were and what weapons they had. You watched, scribbled down your observations, until the sun set in the horizon, when the night shift change happened, before you were gone. Rinse, repeat.  
  
This time, however...this time you were ready.  
  
Satisfied by your accomplishment and mentally prepared, you waited five more seconds until they climbed down into that pit they came out of, before you pulled the protective blue glasses from atop your head and over your eyes, dropping the bag you had with you on the ground. Stealthily, you slid down the trunk, ridged soles catching on bark and branches like a feline’s claws, until you soundlessly touched the grass with your boots in a graceful crouch.  
  
You unzipped the bag and picked two smoke bombs with the matches, then tied the gas mask on your harness, which you filled with knives and shouldered the luggage afterwards. The mask would only cover your nose and mouth, so the glasses were a must for what you were about to do.  
  
With five minutes at your disposal, you stood over the hole to the Underground, one smoke bomb in your hand, the other on the ground, by your foot. Now or never. You lit the first one and dropped it inside, then did the same to the other.  
  
One.  
  
Two.  
  
Three.  
  
Thick smoke raised through and you took that as your cue. Strapping the mask over your face, you grabbed the first ladder bar and started your descent into the fucking hole. Felt a lot like going into a den full of lions...or just going to hell, literally.  
  
The deeper you went, the thicker the smoke was and you could hear confused barking down below. You paused shortly to grab a knife with one hand and bring it up to hold it between your teeth before you continued, large pillars taking shape on the sides of the ever expanding crater.  
  
In less than two minutes, your foot touched the ground and you quietly stood on both legs, taking the knife you had in your mouth in one hand and unsheathing another knife with the other, just like you were used to. Thankfully, you were used to having your face covered throughout missions, so the mask didn’t bother you in the least, neither did the glasses which acted as a visor, therefore, you could walk forward confidently.  
  
There was coughing and wailing as you advanced, probably two guards by the sound. Stilling for a second to pinpoint their exact location, you bent your knees and slowed your breathing, relying only on your senses.  
  
Rustling. Left.  
  
You twirled to the left, dropping low and shooting out your leg, which immediately came in contact with a pair of sturdy feet, before it gave a surprised yelp and fell with a thump. It didn’t have time to bark for help, because you slid over it and brought both knives down into its face, turning it to dust a second later.  
  
The noise that had escaped the first mutt, however, drew the other towards the same direction, something you foresaw. It locked its ears on the sound of what it thought was you and charged, sniffing you out and growling as it barreled. The blind rage with which it gave chase was exactly what you were counting on as you ran for the wall of rock and moss to your right.  
  
Clanking of metal. Right behind you.  
  
Your legs pushed harder and you used the momentum to run up the wall, the strength in your calves helping to throw yourself over the head of your opponent, landing right behind it and instantly surging forward, both knives driven deep into its back.  
  
The mutt fell limp on a bed of buttercups, now that you looked down underneath your boots at the soft cushion the flowers provided. It slowly turned to dust and you scoffed at how poetic the end of it had been. Right. Next step.  
  
These were just two guards of at least twenty. You slipped the bag off your shoulder and pulled out the nail gun, fully loaded. Time to dust some motherfuckers.  
  
By now, the smoke had extended throughout the place, veiling your presence in thick white tendrils like fog. Your tactical advantage was that you could hear, smell, feel them like they were visible, years of training, on some occasions, blindfolded, as to learn and hone your senses, paying off in the best way possible. Ah, it sure was nice to pick the ripe fruits of your hardwork.  
  
Footsteps.  
  
Pit-patting on the stone floors, rustling of leaves. It was all too simple, you decided then, holding up the gun in one hand and a knife in the other as you came upon marble-like stairs, leading to what you could guess was the inside the Ruins’ catacombs. The eerie shadow of it loomed above, filling you with determination.  
  
One inhale. One exhale.  
  
Go.  
  
You shot and maimed everything in your sight that was a monster, stepping through piles of dust as you walked forward, your posture rigid, eyes cold. This is what you had been trained for, what you had worked for all those precious years, being denied the normalcy of a childhood spent building sand castles or a teenagehood spent worrying about tests and crushes. In your wake, sinister silence, the sound of water your only companion in this hard-boiled quest as you passed wooden bridges over rivulets.  
  
Just that passing thought of precious wasted time, it all just came back with a raging fire in the pit of your stomach and you didn’t stop, not through the traps and not as you slid the blade of your knife into froggits and other critters along the way. Brutally, you dusted them all, shot nails straight through their heads and sunk your blade into their bodies, a trail of white specks on the passageways’ brick walls in the shape of five fingers, smudges, a warning left behind for anyone following.  
  
The deeper you went, the colder it got, vines decorating the stone surfaces in twisted curls that looked unkempt and uncoordinated, the smell of decay and bog filling your nostrills. Finally, you reached an area brimming with water, a bridge of bloody spikes as the only means of getting across. When you stepped up to it, all the spikes retracted, making you frown. So this was some kind of puzzle, a risk or die trying type of thing?  
  
Too bad you weren’t in the playful kinda mood.  
  
Aiming the nail gun, you shot one in the first square. It didn’t shoot up, so that one was safe. You did the same to the next and paused as the spikes surged, the goal to impale as clear as day. Carefully, slowly, taking your time, you repeated this same process until you were across, spilling into a long ass corridor.  
  
When was this going to be over? You already lost too many nails on that shitty puzzle.  
  
Bergurgindly, you pressed on, meeting a few more froggits and vegetoids in your path, monsters that stood no chance in the way of your fury. The thought of Ally huddled in this disgusting place, shoved around by mutts, hidden away from light by the queen, it fueled your motivation and determination to smite everything that stood between you and her salvation. Another group of mutt guards padded your way, standing there with their crazed eyes and blood stained fur, wagging their tails at the prospect of a free meal.  
  
You twirled the knife between your fingers, adrenaline fresh in your veins.

* * *

  
  
Sans couldn’t sleep, couldn’t drink, couldn’t do shit. He used up all his energy after she left, desperately searching for her throughout the city, until he was nothing but a sweaty exhausted mess. He couldn’t go back to his home where Papyrus was probably awaiting the opportunity to stumble upon him, he just couldn’t.  
  
This empty feeling, it grew and grew, until he obsessively looked for her in the same places, heard her voice, but when he turned, there was nobody there. It was….it was indescribable. Clearly, she was going for the kid, clearly she wanted to go Underground, but...but when?  
  
Stars, he never felt so helpless and hopeless. It was as if his SOUL had been ripped from his ribcage and torn into millions of tiny pieces, leaving an empty feeling behind. Alright, maybe not to that exact extent, but...it was a maddening sensation, like a continuous nagging in the back of his mind, growing and growing.  
  
She was a hunter, no matter how much he searched, she knew how to cover her tracks.  
  
Fidgety. That’s how Sans found himself standing on a stool at Grillby’s, chugging down his second bottle of mustard. Papyrus wouldn’t come here, he hated this ‘disgusting cesspool of depravity’, all because Grillby, the fire elemental, liked to dip his toes in the occasional human slaves or pets that he purchased, or the servants that were caught and sent off to be bought. The vast majority of the ‘merchandise’ was under Papyrus’ protection, thus, Sans was often sent to look over them, but he always let Grillby get away with anything.  
  
Who cared?  
  
Monsters paid a lot of gold to shackle down a human and have their way with them or have them crawl like dogs on their leashes, for all those years under the mountain. Many were killed during these affairs, but nobody said anything. The fact that Two, the hunter, could potentially end up like that, made the skeleton sweat and glare heatedly at his mustard bottle.  
  
“Something on your mind, old friend?” the deceitfully pleasant voice of the elemental had him look up with a scowl. The term of endearment was a stretch, because they both knew this would end as soon as one of them was fucked. Their beneficial truce was just a means of survival, that and Grillby knew Sans before there was a Papyrus.  
  
“nah. just fuckin' tired s’all.”  
  
“I have this new servant human, if you would like to get to know her.” wearily, he watched Grillby clean his glass from behind the counter, his wicked grin inching higher at mentioning his new little chew toy. For just a second, Sans was wondering if she had been caught, but his SOUL didn’t reach out or feel hers, so he slumped back in his seat and took another chug of his mustard. “Despite that bitch freeing them and losing three good ones, it appears that Alphys’ little robot found more humans.” his head twitched to the side and his empty eyes met Sans’ red pinpricks. “Unfortunately, that hunter out there managed to put it down. It got a glimpse at her SOUL, however…”  
  
Grillby’s eyes widened and jagged grin turned devilish, famished. “It was that of _determination_ ~”

Shit.  
  
“Which reminds me.” he casually continued, placing the glass down and settling both his gloved hands on the counter, another twitch of his head. “Where have you been? Papyrus has been asking about you.”  
  
It was hard to keep a straight face. Especially when it came down to her SOUL having been seen by them and the message relied to probably all the iconic monsters in the city. Sweat formed on his skull and he glared away, unable to meet the fire elemental’s curious gaze.  
  
“You have encountered _her_.”  
  
Sans flinched. “nah. i just heard what she did an’ all. pretty messy, huh?” the strain in his voice was luckily drowned in by the chatter of the patrons inside the bar, a lot of dog guards and a very pissed off looking Dogamy playing cards with Doggo.  
  
All the monsters seemed tense and he wondered what he missed, what they knew and he didn’t.  
  
“Are you lying, old friend?” this time, Grillby pressed on, standing right across from him, leaned over slightly to inspect the skeleton. “fuck outta my face, grillbs, i ain’t got anythin’.”  
  
Before he could be pestered more, the doors of the locale burst open, Dogaressa with two guards at her back marching in, a panicked expression on her face. “The queen is in danger!”  
  
And then it was chaos.

* * *

  
  
The first steps you took inside the home of the queen were anxious, wondering what you would find. Manners were lost on you, her rank of no importance as you left dusty footsteps on the wooden floors, face twisted into satisfaction at vindicating your bruised pride.  
  
Silence was ever present, your footfalls the only sound as you trudged forward, knife twirling in your expertly trained hand. The corridor stopped and you came upon a spacious entrance hall, a staircase in front of you and breaking into two directions, right and left.  
  
Left.  
  
The hallway took you to a living room, equipped with an old big armchair and a long table with many chair surrounding it. There was a fireplace, the fire extinguished, but you couldn’t help but notice that it was warm despite that. Curiously, you walked up to it and reached a hand over the firebox’s grate. It was still emanating warmth. That could only mean that it had been put out not long ago.  
  
Frowning, you turned towards the table, papers, books and crayons sprawled all over the surface, drawings...made by children. And there were so many of them that you felt your stomach twisting with how sick it made you. How many children did she take? How many had she separated from their parents?  
  
Swallowing the knot in your throat, you reluctantly left the sight and went inside the room connected to the living, finding a kitchen. It smelled disgusting...where was this even coming from? You pulled the fridge door open and had to stop yourself from breathing.  
  
Snails, decaying snails. Did she feed this to the...kids?  
  
Unable to keep yourself in check any longer, you slammed the door shot before you ended up throwing up all you had for today. Jesus almighty, what the fuck was wrong with this crazy bitch?  
  
Enough of this. You needed to scout the rest of the home and if she fled with the kids, you would have to hunt her down. Time was of the essence.  
  
Determined to put an end to this tragedy, you walked right out of the kitchen, through the living room and down the hallway to the other part. The basement would have to be the last to get checked. Taking one deep breath and squaring your shoulders, you prepared yourself for the worst. The knife was brought up in defence and your legs bent slightly as you went right this time, passing by small cube shelves and wilted flowers in vases that smelt bad, probably due to the water that had never been changed.  
  
The first room you found, you kicked the door right down, only to realize that this must have been her bedroom. It was empty, but the bed was disheveled and there were some books thrown on the floor. “No time to dwell on this.” you muttered to yourself, pushing your attention back on the task at hand.  
  
You walked out and tip-toed to the next door, pausing to listen closely. Nothing. Then you tried the doorknob and that’s when you heard collective gasps and whispering starting up like wildfire behind it.  
  
Eyes widening, you dropped your guard and pulled on the doorknob again, violently shaking the door. “Is anyone there!? I’m a hunter! I’m here to get you out! Please!” you flinched at the desperation in your voice, but then you heard a meek voice calling back.  
  
“Y-yes...we’re….we’re here!”  
  
That was all you needed. “Step away from the door!” after you heard the telltale shuffling of feet, you took a few back as well, before you lurched forward with all your strength and slammed your shoulder into the door, the hinges failing under the pressure and door getting crashed down.  
  
Eight pairs of eyes stared up at you with wonder and awe as you stepped over the broken door. The children, five girls and three boys, were trembling and huddling into each other, their faces stained with tears, afraid and shaken, as if expecting you to lash out at them, attack them.  
  
What did she do to them?  
  
“It’s okay.” you tried in a soothing voice, placing your hand, fingers spread, over the symbol of the hunters on your shoulder. “I’m here to save you. I’m here for you…” but as you said those words, you were searching for that one familiar face, stomach sinking when you couldn’t find it.  
  
“You can trust me...I won’t allow anything bad to happen to you. I will protect you.” your voice cracked as scenarios ran through your mind at what could have happened to them. “It’s okay...it’s going to be okay.” you knelt down to make yourself less threatening. A boy detangled himself from the others and tentatively stepped towards you, hand reaching out for the lion symbol with curiosity and fear.  
  
“H-hunter? Y-you are here t-to save...us?” his big green eyes looked ready to burst into tears, so you smiled and embraced the child tightly to your chest. His little body started shaking and you could feel his bones through the clothes, knowing already that they had been deprived of the nutrition they needed. Probably ended up having to eat the...snails. Slowly, they all came to you, small arms coming around you as they all cried softly, grasps tightening as if you would disappear at any moment.  
  
“Shh shhh...it’s going to be fine. We need to get out of here. You all need to be strong for me okay? Stand behind me at all times.” you finally spoke, standing up, their little hands grabbing at your legs and glossy eyes staring up at you with understanding.  
  
“Are there more of you?”  
  
“Y-yes...t-the other room…” a small girl chirped timidly from your left. Your heartbeat quickened and you turned out of the room, the children trailing behind you with wide eyes.Just like the first time, you tried the doorknob. Locked. But the whispers behind the door erupted almost immediatelly.  
  
“I’m a hunter. I’m here to--”  
  
“Two!!”  
  
_Ally?_ Your heart slammed into your ribcage as emotions flooded you suddenly. “Yes. Yes it’s Two! Step back, okay? I’m gonna get you all out of there!”  
  
Repeating the same process, you barrelled down the door and in an instant, you were assaulted into a hug so tight you could swear you were going to choke if it weren’t for the sobs that had already spilled from your mouth. Arms were brought about the little girl and you brought her close to you, smelled her hair and nuzzled her head with so much happiness that you thought you’d burst. The relief that just washed over you, the excitement, the need that you didn’t even realize was there, to hold her and hush her. She was skinnier, you could tell, but she was Ally and she was in the same state as you, sobbing and crying and laughing at the same time.  
  
Finally, you pulled away and inspected her, turned her this way and that, not even realizing you had been crying as well. Words were not enough to even show how you felt, but you smothered her hair and stroked her face with your thumbs and smiled adoringly at her as if she was your own.  
  
Maybe you got attached.  
  
God, you didn’t even realize how much you missed this little brat. “Are you hurt?” was the only thing that you could manage. She shook her head with a big toothy grin, wiping the tears from her cheeks with both hands. “I-I’m s-so happy...y-you came...I knew!” you brought her in for another long hug, until your more rational side caught up with your predicament.  
  
Pulling away, you looked in her eyes and then at the others. “I will get you out of here. Follow my lead, don’t stray away and stay behind me, no matter what. We need to hurry, okay?”  
  
They all nodded, including Ally, and you stood straight, one inhale, one exhale.  
  
“Hold your hands, don’t let go and be as silent as you can.” despite the strong tone of your voice, you were slightly worried. The queen was not here, so where was she? With fifteen children behind you, your posture wasn’t so sure, but your heart filled with motivation.  
  
These were innocent children that needed you. They needed you.  
  
You began your descent on the staircase to the basement. Two steps. Pause. Listen to any sounds, then repeat. The whole routine took a bit, but you weren’t going to take any chances with a boss monster lurking about. At the last step, you waited until all children were down, counting them again and starting forward once more. It got colder the deeper you went, just like in the catacombs, the walls were stained with blood and you were pretty sure you could see human bones in that corner.  
  
One turn and...there she was. _Toriel was blocking the way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to comment and kudos if you liked it! it keeps me motivated and inspired  
> and i love hearing from you guys!


	17. domingo en fuego, i think i lost my halo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello! an update from me, because your comments and kudos and praises motivated me to get this chapter done faster!  
> thank you all for your support and keep it coming, because I sure love hearing from you guys. that said, we're getting closer to the end, which will be followed by a sequel, of course. if anyone wants to fanart, you are more than welcome! i'm also considering making a tumblr for my stories and all orz  
> ah, also...i was listening to this song from the heathers musical, meant to be yours and it vaguely reminded me of my version of sans, what with the whole obsessive thing going on for someone haha;;;  
> aaanyway, i hope you guys will like it~
> 
> songs to go with this : Imagine Dragons - Believer (Kaskade Remix) ; Róisín Murphy - Rama Lama (Bang Bang)

The queen was really something to look at. Not the good kind, however. In fact, you couldn’t even blame her for wanting to remain Underground. You could blame the choices she’s made, though. These kids didn’t deserve the treatment they received.  
  
Her fur looked as if once it had been stark white, but now it had a sickly yellow hue, it had a blotchy appearance and the smell was bad too. Had she succumbed to her madness in such a manner that she cared nothing about herself anymore? Her arms were raised up, paws trembling and a beastly grin twitched over her muzzle, yellow razor sharp teeth bared at the sight of you with the children, as if she was unsure if she should laugh or cry. Her eyes were wide and pupils slitted, unfocused, sclera yellow against the red irises and messy attempt at some eyeshadow smudges around her sockets. The garment she wore, a black and long tattered tunic, that had probably been a royal robe once, it...it drove home the fact that this monster was unstable.  
  
She looked crazy. Through and through.  
  
As you took in her appearance, you couldn’t decide what to do. Clearly, turning back was not an option, but you still had that plan ready and despite this not having gone as you would have expected, it wasn’t something you weren’t ready for. A shrill laugh broke the funeral-like silence, the goat choking on her own cackles, eyes darting from side to side, arms trembling violently. “My children!” she wailed “They are my children! You will not take my children!”  
  
Holy shit, she was losing it.  
  
“We have a good life here! If they go out there, they will be killed--” her voice broke as her eyes widened further, some crazy chuckles escaping her throat “Killed! I can protect them! Go back upstairs!!” she barked towards the children, straightening up with an authoritative tone, paw sizzling up with fire.  
  
_Shit._  
  
You took a step back, giving Ally and the children an urgent look, which she returned as the kids cowered in fear. Gotta think fast. In a second, you shoved the bag to the little girl. “Fire up one of the bombs, the thick and long white ones. Get everyone behind the corner by the stairs and stay crouched. Don’t come out no matter what you hear, until I come for you.” you spoke fast and pushed her back.  
  
“No! Go back upstairs!” the shriek of desperation was followed by a blazing ball of fire. You shoved Ally and the others to the opposite wall as the flame hit the end of the corridor, just before the corner and scorched the surface instantly. Fucking bitch! “Go!” --but Ally was reluctant, even as the other kids fled in panic. "Did I stutter?!" this seemed to get her moving and you breathed your relief when she turned tail.  
  
But the crazy bitch goat --she didn’t even wait for the children to be out of the way. She just attacked them all, even if it meant hurting them. Incredulously, you scowled at her, meeting crazy red eyes with ice cold blues. “If I can’t have them...nobody will.” and that declaration practically sealed her fate.  
  
“They already have parents, you crazy bitch!” --that slur slipped from your mouth without you noticing it, but it was enough to make the goat queen bristle. “I will give them a quick and peaceful end!” both her paws were engulfed in flames as she took a few steps forward, only for you to step in the way. "Let me!" she screamed at you this time.  
  
“No way in hell.”

_Clank_.  The bomb was thrown just in time. 

Thick smoke spilled from behind you in tendrils, your body vanishing within as if you had been swallowed by it. In facing monsters, particularly powerful ones, a hunter needed to use any weapon or advantage at their disposal. Nothing was off the table, not when you were dealing with creatures like her. A fair one-on-one would end up with you dead, for sure, and the children would follow you shortly if you didn’t get down and dirty. Thankful that Ally did as you instructed, you pulled the mask back over your face, having taken it off when you entered the queen’s home.  
  
There were many ways that you could try to take down a bigger opponent, but what about an unstable fire-breathing goat? A fire ball lit up the smoke in front of you and you slid to the wall, your back flat on it just as the thing flew inches away from where your head had been. This crazy lady was going in blind.  
  
“You cannot hide from me, my children.”  
  
Damn it. You needed to think fast. Happily, you could see if she was getting closer. That, and she started to cough violently. “I’m coming, do not be afraid! I will give you a painless end so they won’t…” her voice was all broken as if on the verge of tears and her footfalls were heavy, giving you the upperhand in being able to hear the movements.  
  
Three more fireballs were thrown blindly, each missing terribly. Perhaps her condition was also going to be a stroke of luck for you. Toriel, twisted and mad as she was, believed she was doing the right thing, protecting her children from a fate worse than death. You couldn’t argue with that, not after you’d seen the state of the slaves they took or how they killed the particularly broken and disobedient ones, but this show of affection was sick and obsessive.  
  
You always hated the _clingy_ ones.  
  
Locking onto her exact location, after another rain of fireballs that you followed with your eyes, mainly to make sure they didn’t end up harming the kids, secondly to calculate the angle at which they were thrown to pinpoint the monster's whereabouts. First, you brushed your hand over the device you managed to salvage from Sans, fully functional now, recharged and settings fixed for what you had planned, then, you unsheathed a second knife and evened your breathing.  
  
Two. That was your rank, you reminded yourself, feeling the nervous cold clench of your stomach and the dryness of your mouth. This is what you had been trained for.  
  
And you lurched forward, pushing your leg muscles hard to sprint through the smoke and towards the goat monster. She didn’t have time to react, because you came fast and hard, slashed her side and vanished back into the smoke, leaving behind only a wail of pain from the queen.  
  
She turned and twisted, throwing fireballs everywhere, two enormous hands made of fire just materializing around her. Missing you by a few inches with two of the scorching globes, you waited at a good distance for another opening.

This was your chance.

You sprinted again, coming right behind her and bringing both knives into her back. A shrill cry left her muzzle and you yanked your blades back, jumping up and locking your legs around her waist, raising both arms up to impale the sharp knives into her shoulders. You were so focused, you didn’t even see the scorching paws reaching back for you, but then they gripped your elbows and she threw you over her and into the wall across, slamming you into the hard surface upside down. A choked cry left your lips as you slid to the ground, body twisted and suit singed from the flames of her magic. The knives were knocked out of your hands when you were hurled into the air.   
  
Fucking shit. You were so close too. Your arms hurt like a bitch, but you managed to tumble to your knees, before you turned to face her and stood up with a light tremble from your knees. She could see you well now, because you were close enough for the smoke to not be as thick.  
  
“Give me my children!”  
  
Both fire-made hands came down upon you. With rising panic, you ducked and rolled, the flames crashing into the wall where you had been and dematerializing at the impact. A frustrated roar and a shower of fire rained down on you, catching your arms and legs, singing material and making you snarl in discomfort. But there was an opening.  
  
This time, you didn’t hesitate to dive right into the fire, literally. You ran at her, through the fireballs and leaped, bringing your boots right into her stomach. Quickly, before you fell after the hit, you brought your palms to the ground and twisted your body, one leg shooting up straight into her jaw, a sickening crack following your kick. From there, you twirled on your hands just as she slouched from the pain and caught her waist between your legs, raising your upper body up and headbutting her so hard you saw stars. The goat monster collapsed back, bringing you down with her, so ended up straddling her waist on the ground, knees aching from the fall. All fire ceased to exist once she was out and you took this opportunity to unclasp the device from your harness and set it over her neck.  
  
It latched onto her throat with a satisfying beep, effectively ending this battle. Monsters had a hard time handling close-range combat, especially when their magic required them to keep a certain distance. You noticed this with Sans as well. While he was fucking scary long-rage, he was lost when it went down close and personal. Panting and with some effort, you looked down at yourself, assessing the damage. There were portions of your suit that had been burned off, skin numb due to the adrenaline coursing through your veins, and you just knew the pain would come with a vengeance as soon as that faded away. While still able to suppress the burn, you almost stumbled on your way to the kids, supporting yourself using the wall until you came to the corner. They were all crouched down, their noses and mouths covered by sleeves or shirt collars, eyes closed tight and their bodies huddled together like puppies.  
  
“It’s over.” you croaked, finding that your legs were starting to shake slightly. It might not have meant anything to anyone else, but bringing down a boss monster was a feat that was going to catch up with you later. Granted, said monster was only defeated because you had the advantage of the smoke and its unstable condition that prevented any coherent thoughts or logical actions. Surely, you wouldn’t be as lucky if she had been her normal self.  
  
Ally was the first to shoot up to her feet, coughing lightly in her shirt’s collar. Her eyes roamed over you with a terrified expression on her face, taking note of the wounds you were now sporting. “Are y-you --” “I’m okay. Come with me.” you strained yourself to look fine, despite the aches starting to spread.  
  
Before the little girl could say anything, you gave her a reassuring smile and took your bag that was on the ground, where Ally had been crouching, shouldering it and turning to walk back. The bomb was now snuffed out, no more smoke coming from it, but the whole place had already been invaded by the fume.  
  
The kids whispered among each other and slowly rose to their feet, walking out of hiding right behind you. Now, you needed to restrain the queen bitch, but first --you glanced at the large stone door at the end of the corridor, clearly the way out of the Ruins. Taking a deep breath and squaring your shoulders, you marched towards it and placed both palms on its surface, before pushing as hard as you could, until it budged, little by little. The air that spilled inside was cold and crisp, much like a breeze in winter, but it also allowed for the smoke to dissipate once you had it opened completely.  
  
“Everyone, come over here and stay by the door while I deal with her.” as you turned to say this, you saw the children looking down at the...bleeding unconscious goat. Shit, you almost forgot you stabbed her. They were scared to pass by her body, so you took the initiative and stepped close to her, giving them a sense of security. “Come now, she won’t hurt you while I’m here.” all their eyes were on you, conflicted, doubtful and afraid. That softened your gaze, but you remained rooted there. “Come ooon! Two is g-gonna take c-care of us!”  
  
_Thank you Ally_. Slowly, they all inched towards the large door, huddling together and breathing in the clean air. With them safe over there, you gently pushed Ally towards the group as well, before you knelt down by the monster and unzipped the bag, taking out rope and shoving her on her stomach in order to tie her paws behind her back in a very tight knot. Then, you took some more rope and fastened it to her wrist binds, acting as a leash for you to hold onto once she was able to walk, much like you did with Sans.  
  
Ah, Sans.  
  
Your mind drifted again to the bitter memory still fresh in your mind. Oh well, when your plan was done with, you would be able to forget about this whole fiasco. Speaking of...you stood up with a huff and made your way to the door as well, passing by the kids gathered there and plopping down on the steps that led outside, covered in...snow?  
  
_Well then._  You should stop questioning every illogical thing that happened around this place.  
  
Taking a deep breath, you exhaled a cloud of hot breath into the cold wintery air. “M-Miss Two?” at the small voice, you glanced back, the children standing on your sides. A little boy fidgeted nervously. “W-What are we going to d-do now?”  
  
Ally sat down by you, pressing her small body into your side with the same question in her big brown eyes. “I need four strong boys with me. We need to go back up and take whatever supplies we can find, then we go onward. There is a second exit out of the Underground.”  
  
And you honestly hoped that your plan would work, otherwise you were fucked. You didn’t expect there to be fifteen children, more like five or so...never so many, therefore, you had to reconsider certain things. Their safety came first, always. That was the code of the hunters. Civilians first, themselves second, comrades third...maybe. You also didn’t expect this kind of weather, definitely not snow. Apparently, the barrier outside was inspired by the climate of the Underground, able to create its own ecosystem.  
  
“I’ll g-go with you!” a redheaded boy spoke up, face scrunched up with determination. This bravado of his was admirable, so you gave him a curt nod. Three more volunteered, including the boy that spoke up earlier. “The rest of you will stay here and wait for us.” that said, you stood up with a grunt, your muscles hurting and wounds stretching painfully, especially after the soothing lick of the cold.  
  
You pulled two knives from your harness and gave one to Ally and one to another girl. “Just in case you will need to protect yourselves.”  
  
Their eyes wearily lowered to the goat queen, but you snapped them out of it when you placed your hands on each of their shoulders. “She can’t hurt you. That device on her neck, it will zap her if she tries to use her magic and she is binded, so she can’t come for you. Guard the others and the door, got it?” both girls nodded at your authoritative tone and straightened up.  
  
You then ruffled Ally’s hair affectionately, giving her a small smile before you left. “Stay safe.”  
  
Turning around, you signaled for the boys to follow you through the long corridor and up the stairs, back into the place they had been kept in. To ensure a safe passage without worrying about your backs being vulnerable, you needed to bring the Ruins down. There was a stove and there was a fireplace, the perfect recipe for a bad time.  
  
With that in mind, you went scavenging through the kitchen while the boys went to find clothes, blankets and bags through the bedrooms. There were some cans with meat in the fridge, hidden far into a corner, behind the decaying snails. This time you had your gas mask on, thank god, so you took those, before finding some empty bottles in another cupboard and filling them with tap water. Shoving that in your bag, you went into the living room, taking your time to search the shelves full of books for anything --oh, there was a jar of candy? There had to be at least fifty candies in it, so you pulled it off the high shelf and inspected it.  
  
Realization came upon you like a cold wave. These looked exactly like the one Sans brought you that time! You shoved your hand inside and grabbed one, pulling the wrapper off and popping it into your mouth as an experiment to see if these were indeed what you thought they were.  
  
Sure enough, your wounds healed right under your widened eyes, making you grin with delight. Yes! Jackpot. You emptied the jar into your bag and placed it back where it was, before you went around the place again, finding the boys loading shoes, scarves, mittens and clothes in some dusty bags that looked hand-made, knitted. “Don’t forget the blankets.” you spoke as you looked around the bedroom, opening the wardrobe at the end to check if anything was left behind.  
  
“We’re done here..” the readhead spoke up, walking over to you and glancing at the others. Closing the doors, you turned to face them. “I will need you to go now, take the others outside and wait for me, alright? Make sure everyone is warmly covered.”  
  
The boys nodded and exited the bedroom, leaving you behind with a plan in the process of being executed. Sighing, you opened your bag once more and found the matches, before you zipped it and secured it on your back so it wouldn’t budge. Calmly, you walked through the house, into the kitchen again, eyeing the stove. This was it then, this was necessary, you reminded yourself. During a battle, there was always destruction and sacrifice. Biting your lower lip, you turned all the knobs, letting the gas spread out as you rushed out.  
  
For the explosion to be powerful, you needed the gas to make contact with the flame in a certain point, so that it brought down everything and blocked the only way to get to you fast enough. You walked towards the staircase, paused by one of the cube shelves and took the old books from there, before descending over the steps until you touched the basement floor. There, you started ripping pages, layering them in a trail until you reached the corner, where you bunched all the books with crumpled pages on top. Using the matches, you lit some of those up and watched as it caught on fire.  
  
The gas would spread fast enough, so you made sure you had enough time to get the goat monster. Hurriedly, you turned the corner and ran for the goat that was still out, seeing as the kids already left as you instructed. Bracing yourself and pocketing the matches, you grabbed her from beneath the armpits and dragged her through the open door, until you were crunching the snow under your boots. You laid her down on her back and pushed the door from the Ruins closed as best as you could.  
  
This kind of effort had you sweating and panting already. Gulping down some air, you returned to the goat monster and resumed your task, dragging her through the snow, on a path lined with tall and dark trees. The children were waiting by a bridge, over which were built some...kind of bars made of wood, an attempt to make it hard to pass through? Breathing hard as you reached them, you motioned for them to go on.  
  
_Fucking shit_. You didn’t know how much you could handle this heavy motherfucking --”Go go go!” you heaved, seeing as they were worriedly looking at you and the monster you were pulling around.  
  
With some more wasted energy on your part, you passed over the bridge, accidentally bonking the goat’s head on one of the wooden pillars. For which you didn’t feel very bad. At least her bleeding stopped for now, though, you were pretty sure you left a nice trail behind you. Large eyes looked up to you as soon as you made it through, waiting for your next words as if you were their leader or something. Not that you could blame the kids, they did go through a shitty moment in their lives from which you saved them, so they probably saw you as some kind of hero.  
  
“We continue walking. C’mon, as far as possible.” you offered, done with the break you took and once again, grabbing the big monster under the arms to continue dragging her along. Not too far away, there was a clearing, with what looked like an old broken down stand, probably in that state from lack of usage and care. Regardless, it made a good stopping point for now.  
  
As if they read your thoughts, the kids crowded around the wooden stand, hopping up on it, going behind it and pulling out some old mustard bottles with grossed out faces.    
  
Mustard?  
  
You eyed the construction with a frown. _Sans_. Who else did you see chug on a mustard bottle before? Unless all monsters liked mustard and you didn’t know. Ally didn’t join them, she remained by you, trying to help you carry the queen over to the booth so you could lean her back against the side of it.  
  
“W-why did you...b-bring her?”  
  
Ah, that was the million-dollar question. “We’ll need her if we wanna get out of here without problems.” just as you explained this, the ground underneath your feet vibrated and a distant yet powerful booming noise echoed throughout the forest. Then came the shaking of trees and the collapse of rock, a low rumble, faint but enough to tell you that the deed was done.  
  
“Let’s make a fire. This is where we camp.”  
  
Nobody questioned the explosion sound they heard, probably drawing their own conclusions. Casually, you went to the stand and grabbed a crooked side of a wood plaque that was jutting out, breaking it and then placing it behind the stand, where it was more isolated. “Any of you know how to make fire?” you asked, kneeling by the wood and sliding your bag off.  
  
“I do m’am! I was a girl scout!” a blonde girl perked up, raising her hand. “Alright, you make the fire. I’ll go find some more firewood. Don’t go anywhere alone, alright?” you threw the matches to the scout girl as you instructed them.  
  
“Yes m’am!” they all replied in unison, but not your brat. Ally still appeared distressed, her eyes moving over the monster that sat leaned on the stand’s side. “Ally!” that snapped her out of her thoughts, her head turning to look at you.  
  
“Come with me?”  
  
“Y-yes!”  
  
Finally, you could enjoy her company again. She had a blanket wrapped around her upper body in a manner that didn’t have it dragging through the snow and kept her warm at the same time, leaving her arms able to move freely. With a smile, you waited until she was by your side, before you brought your arm around her shoulders and pressed her to your side affectionately.  
  
She gave you a toothy grin in return and it filled you with determination. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to kudos and comment if you liked it!  
> ya'll know i love your feedback~


	18. we kill our way to heaven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter chapter, but still an update!  
> we're getting closer and closer to the end peeps, it's already planned out and I even have the main points written down  
> my undertale story will remain on hold, till this one is finished, so I can focus my whole attention on this task  
> without further ado, enjoy!
> 
> songs to go with this : Michl - Kill Our Way To Heaven ; Ryder - Ruins

  
_There was a child with a red heart in a garden of buttercups, knelt among them in a beautiful pink tutu, with a smile so innocent that you couldn’t help but stare in awe. Their small hands were cupped underneath the brilliantly shining SOUL, but you couldn’t see their eyes. However, you did see the tears that streaked their flushed cheeks._  
  
_Why were they smiling, though?_  
  
_The kid bowed their head, a short curtain of  messy brown locks falling over their features and blocking everything from view. You felt...sad. A choked sob tore through your mouth before you even understood what was going on and your hands shot up to your face, fingertips touching the fat tears that rolled down your own cheeks without restraint._  
  
_What the fuck?_  
  
_You never cried. Then there it was, something pulled from your chest in an agonizing and painful manner. It shone just as bright and strong, flared and hummed with mesmerizing red light, bathing the flowers in a burgundy hue._  
  
_“Why…” you cupped your SOUL carefully, gently, confused. What was going on? The child’s head raised and they looked at you as if sensing your presence for the first time, as if just seeing you there...oh--they had a crown of buttercups over their eyes._  
  
_“I don’t understand!” you screamed at them, trying to move your feet but finding that you were rooted in place. Your SOUL trembled under your palms -- “If you try...just a little bit harder…” they spoke, voice soft and so so warm. Like the warm caress of a sun ray._  
  
_“Try? Try what?!”_  
  
_They chuckled lightly, sadly, bowing their head again and you watched with morbid curiosity how their SOUL dimmed and dimmed until it cracked in the middle as if it were made of glass. The child was dying. There was so much sadness, so much hopelessness and loneliness. But then there was this little red string that refused to break, there was this little light when the kid looked up at you and smiled again, brightly, despite the contradicting emotions._  
  
_“...still, I believe in you.”_  
  
_What? You clenched your teeth as all these feelings just spread through you, making you collapse to your knees in uncontrollable sobbing and crying, as if the whole weight of the world was now pressing on your shoulders._    
  
And the bite of cold.  
  
Your eyes snapped open, the wetness on your face startling you awake as soon as the wintery breeze froze your tear-stained cheeks. What the fuck? Confusion and alarm weaved through your body as you shifted, realizing a few seconds later just what was happening. You fell asleep underneath that mustard riddled booth, huddled with the kids in a tangle of blankets. Your vision was blurry as it fell over the red shape floating over your chest and then you really panicked.  
  
Your SOUL was out again.  
  
Cold sweat began forming over your temples and forehead as you stared with wide eyes. What the ever living fuck was it doing out of you? Your breathing came in quick puffs of fog and your stomach clenched in dread. As if sensing you awake, however, the small heart phased right back into you before you tumbled over the edge of a panic attack. The feeling of being whole again was calming and you thanked the heavens that not one soul was awake to see this whole thing happening. You closed your eyes and tried to even out your breathing, counting to ten in your mind.  
  
There was no time for this.  
  
Carefully, you untangled from a few small hands and feet, before you stood up and stretched out, spine giving a pop or two. While this thing with your SOUL was worrying, you couldn’t afford to freak out now. Not when you had fifteen kids depending on you. Later, when you were safe, you could start searching for answers and shaking some monsters, but right now, the main goal was to get the fuck out unscathed. It was incredible, even for you, how you managed to control yourself so well in this situation. Perhaps the years of training under pressure was paying off.  
  
A low whine caught your attention and you realized you almost forgot about the goat. Sighing, you rounded the stand and stopped when you saw her big body squirm, a weak whimper seizing her throat as she turned her head towards you. Seemed like she woke up a while ago and discovered that she was fucked. Good.  
  
“What have you done…” she crooned in such a pathetic broken voice that it made you almost want to show her some mercy and end her life. Crouching by her side, you rested your elbows on your knees and just assessed her state. Clearly she was cold, but not cold enough to die from it. If anything, her fur offered her enough warmth for the winter cool to be only a mild discomfort.  
  
The gashes on her back were probably healing by themselves, since there was no indication that they had been opened or that she’s been bleeding out after she'd been placed there. Monsters also had an uncanny ability to heal much faster. “I saved them.” you replied simply, tone filled with bitterness.  
  
“No...no, you only..” she drawled out, a strained sob following her words “Asgore, he will kill them..” this time, when she said this, she looked you in the eyes, making a chill run down your spine at how defeated she seemed by that admission. He wouldn’t be this heartless would he? Killing adults was one thing, but innocent, harmless children? Your brows furrowed in doubt at her statement. “That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”  
  
“Listen to me!” god, this goat queen sure had a problem when people didn’t give her their undivided attention. “If I hadn’t taken them...if I hadn’t...he would have killed them! He killed the other children too, in the Underground! I never wanted them to die! He...he killed them...and all the other monsters...they did his bidding...he ..he…” she trailed off, eyes blinking away tears that stained her fur.  
  
You were aware of seven souls being needed to break out, so it was clear that those that fell were sacrificed for ‘the greater good’, but would he meaninglessly kill children? Somehow this seemed like the intricate and rich imagination of a mad woman.  
  
“I don’t believe that.”  
  
“Why do you think I left him or wished to live in the Ruins and not above ground, lost one?” she sobbed, head bowing in misery and all fight seeming like it just left her. Wait, she left Asgore? When she put it like that, it really was...odd. But would he go to such extremes? You didn’t know they were not queen and king together anymore. In fact, you’ve always known that they were in cahoots, that she lived with him in the City Center. Yes, you were a little disbelieving when Sans came clean and told you that she was actually Underground, but you didn’t think much of it, merely saw it as some kind of tactical strategy to keep prying eyes away and the kids far from their parents, not..not as a way to protect them from the King. Unless he deemed them useless to his cause...  
  
“I’m not lost.” with that, you stood up and untied the leash-like rope from the stand’s pillars, yanking on it to make her stand up. “If you sit in the snow, you’re gonna get sick. I don’t want a burden on my hands.”   
  
But now you had so many more doubts and questions. "Wake up everyone! We need to get our asses out of here!"  
  


* * *

  
  
His bones felt brittle, especially after being kicked around like a piece of trash, like he was nothing. He remained on the ground, however, didn’t dare move. Let him have it. Let him do whatever. Another hard kick had him sliding back against the wall. “YOU USELESS IMBECILE!” his brother roared with barely restrained rage.  
  
Sans had been found, back at Grillby’s. After Dogaressa came in with news, so did Papyrus and from then, it all went to shit. Thankfully, he wasn’t humiliated in front of the patrons this time around, but as soon as he saw the menacing look on his brother’s face, he knew that his fate was sealed.  
  
“..’m sorry, boss..” he rasped, staying down submissively, clutching his ribs. “HOW DARE YOU LOUNGE AROUND WHILE ALL OTHER MONSTERS ARE OUT THERE SEARCHING FOR THE HUMAN HUNTER? YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING BONEHEAD!” he stepped closer to the cowering skeleton. The wooden floor of the house’s hallway felt soothing on his quivering bones, even through his clothes.  
  
“i’ve been tryin’ to find the human too..” he whined, dimmed eye lights peering up at Papyrus, watching as his eyesockets twitched and narrowed with anger. “YOU ARE UTTERLY USELESS!”  
  
“i’m tryin’,”  
  
“TRY HARDER!” this time, Papyrus snarled at his older brother, satisfied when Sans flinched and looked away, remaining down under his scorching glare. The short skeleton knew that he --”asgore’s panickin’ with the hunter on the loose…ain't it?” he asked calmly, with a swell of pride in his SOUL that his brother was completely unaware of.  
  
Taken aback by this question, Papyrus recoiled, crossing his arms over his ribcage as he observed the other. “I, THE GREAT AND TERRIFYING PAPYRUS, ASSURED HIS MAJESTY THAT HE WILL HAVE THE HUMAN HUNTER UNDER LOCK AND KEY SOON.” ah, there it was. That is why Papyrus was really so wound up, more than usual, why he was snapping like this; because he was pressured by Asgore.  
  
Asgore pressured through subtle threats and while Papyrus didn’t seem like the epitome of tact and perception, he often surprised by how well he understood certain situations. But no matter what, he never actually bent over backwards to accommodate the king in such an urgent manner, so whatever Asgore might have said, it hit home hard enough for his brother to be this way “MISLEADING HIS MAJESTY IS NOT AN OPTION. I WANT THE HUMAN CAPTURED, SANS!”  
  
Right. He was their fastest route to catching Two. Papyrus often used him like this, for the more rougher and dirtier tasks, like he did with Frisk back when. Then again, he was just following Asgore’s orders, reluctantly, nonetheless, doing what was expected of him, what was right for them all. Sans saw his face when he returned with the kid’s SOUL to give to Asgore, he saw how Papyrus looked away, both conflicted and upset with the child’s demise...but they had no choice. That was the only way out, as their king had told them countless of times.  
  
Sans had no choice. “...sure boss...i’ll catch’er.”  
  
“YES. YES, YOU WILL. OTHERWISE, I WILL MAKE SURE YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE FAR MORE SEVERE THAN YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE.” the tall skeleton grunted out with authority. Papyrus leashed out because he’s been missing for a long while, longer than usual, without regular reports or information, without his permission, most of all. Without letting him know. Sans liked to think this was his own way of...being worried. As twisted and dysfunctional as it sounded. 

But stars, he deserved the beating he just received. He saw this as his punishment for lying to her and his brother, for being the piece of shit he was, for manipulating and hiding behind words, for not keeping his promise.

...

  
  
Later after the sun had already set, Sans stood atop their mansion’s roof, calmly smoking a cigarette after nursing his broken bones and wounded ego, a stubborn crack over his skull not healing properly and looking as if someone drove a pole through his head. Nevertheless, there was no going back now. Everything was being set into motion and he felt it all crumbling down.  
  
They wanted Two captured.  
  
The center of the city was lit up. Undyne and Papyrus were making preparations for leaving in a few days towards Mount Ebott as per king's order, training their guards and giving them instructions as to what to do and not do. Asgore was surely with them, the stunt Two had pulled hitting too close at home for his comfort. Alphys was pressed to finish two more Human Blasters asap, using his blueprints and notes to get them working decently on the field. And this was the beginning of the end.  
  
He knew that it would come to this eventually. His SOUL hummed painfully and he clutched at his shirt with a helpless whimper. What was he going to do?  
  
This was bad.  
  
This was so _so_ bad.  
  
But she did leave, right? She abandoned him.  
  
_No._ She was hurt by what he did, that had to be it. That’s why she left, because she needed to be alone with her own thoughts, just like he was doing right now. Her mission was a distraction, but surely she saw how he told her the truth in the end, right? Space.   
  
Would she smile again, though? Just for him? A dumb grin worked its way on his face. Stars, he was fucked. He needed to do something, to at least warn her. Apparently, there was only one brief message that managed to get through from the Ruins’ guards to Asgore and Papyrus and then it was dead silent, all communications dropped suddenly.  
  
Grin fading, he realized he didn’t even know if she survived Toriel and that alone tore him apart from the inside. The only thing that stopped him from going there right now to find out, was the very very faint feeling of her, like...like he could just feel her, distant and cold, but there, like a fragrance on his pillow. Smoke left his nose cavity in thick swirls and his eyelights dimmed.  
  
The simple and clean truth was that he needed her.  
  
Did this mean he was accepting what he was feeling? No. But he needed to figure it out or he’d lose his mind. Insomnia already hit him back really hard as soon as he was separated from her and slowly, he was falling back into that deep dark hole, starting with cowardly hiding from his brother to the reoccurring nihilistic tendencies.  
  
How pathetic was that?  
  
Her words still rung in his head and he couldn’t help but agree with a very important point she made. This whole thing was both of their fault, they all brought this upon themselves. Humans banished them so long ago that it felt like an eternity, but it was them that chose to live by this ‘ _kill or be killed_ ’ ideology, they...they made themselves this way instead of trying to find a solution. The made their bed and they had to lay in it.   
  
Who attacked first, though? Did humans banish them for nothing?  
  
And when they broke the barrier, they could have chosen a different path, try to negotiate, but Asgore made that decision for them. He ordered them to kill everything in sight and them being the blood-thirsty, vile and crooked monsters that the king created and wanted them to be, it was simple to do as they were told, this became their nature, these were the laws back home. They reveled in destruction because the king wanted them to.  
  
And it all started with the loss of his son, Asriel.  
  
Another puff of smoke left Sans’ nasal cavity. ‘ _Sometimes you just needed to sit your ass down and smoke a cigarette_ ’ --was this what she meant by it? ‘ _In silent contemplation_ ’ --he added wistfully.  
  
He needed to do right by her.  
  
Quietly, he put out the cigarette and pulled the flip-phone from his jacket’s pocket. This was one of the many he kept around his room, just in case. Like all the others, this was found in the dump by the waterfall back in the Underground and he made a hobby of collecting them and fixing them, put them away for safekeeping. In all of them, stored in the memory, he had two numbers, that of his brother and Alphys, because he never bothered with memorizing them and those were the only other monsters he sometimes needed to remain in contact with.  
  
A few quiet moments passed by, with him just staring at the lit up screen with the message icon on it. Papyrus already told him to go first, assess the damage, see the state of the Ruins and the queen, scout and then report to them.  
  
Little did he know that Sans had his own agenda. Stars and he felt like shit for doing this to his brother, but how could he understand? Maybe....maybe he would, in the near future, someday, maybe he would be forgiven. Inhaling slowly, his phalanges moved over the keypads.  
  
Something in the distance, however, had him pause.  
  
There was a thick rope of grey smoke from the distant peak of the mountain, where the hole to the Ruins was, and his SOUL sank. Quickly, he teleported to the bustling center of the city, where lines and lines of guards and monsters had gathered, Papyrus and Undyne standing still and watching the same sight, the redhead with shaking fists and his brother with his mouth open in disbelief. For once, all noise ceased. Asgore and Alphys were far off on the other side of the small army of monsters, along with the two Human Blasters that were getting prepped to go, but he knew that they were watching with the same amount of bristling anxiety.  
  
What happened?  
  
“SANS.” his brother suddenly addressed him, breaking the funeral-like silence and turning his red eyelights down to him in a mask of finality “STOP WASTING TIME, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING CRETIN AND DO AS YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO DO!” at his commandeering bark, Sans winced, but did as he was told.  
  
_Blip._  
  
And he was gone.  
  
There was the hum of battle in the air. A distinct buzz that promised bloodshed, the static of anticipation raw through the bodies of his kind. What Two did, it was a declaration of war, a challenge to the King directly. 

Mockery.

He stood a few good meters away from the hole, observing the tendrils of dark grey smog rise into the air. Did she go through here? It was logical to assume so, since it was the fastest way to the Ruins. By now the hunters knew the general layout of what used to be the monsters’ home, especially after capturing some of them and torturing for information like they did in the very beginning, when both sides were testing the waters.  
  
Pulling the collar of his turtleneck upwards over his mouth and nasal cavity, Sans finally decided to go in and investigate, hoping he wouldn’t come across a corpse belonging to a certain huntress.  
  
“what’ve ya gotten into, sweetheart?”  
  
He couldn’t deny the way his SOUL thrummed and thumped at the proximity, at the possibility that she was going to be close to him again. Here he was, ready to betray his own kind for her, excited and shamelessly looking forward to prove himself to her.  
  
Show her that she did misjudge him, that he could be more than just a cowardly piece of shit.  
  
And most of all, that he was willing to fix his wrongs.  
  
Maybe he was going mad. But, stars, he didn’t want to stop, not for one second. A wickedly dark laugh bellowed from his mouth, grin spreading wider and magic sizzling in the air all around him. "i got ya, doll. i got ya." with that whisper lost to the darkness of the night and the tall pine trees, he vanished. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comment if you liked it!  
> ya'll know i love the feedback~


	19. you got dust in your pocket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeeey peeps~ here's an update  
> sorry for the longer wait, it's gonna be this way until i'm done with exams and whatnot  
> but we're getting to the end of this! didn't forget about the story or anything. fanart is welcomed, so are long feedbacks, because i love those to death and kudos are encouraged! bookmark and everything.   
> without further ado, here's the newest chapter
> 
> songs to go with this : Glass Animals - Take a Slice ; Zeds Dead - Neck and Neck ft. Dragonette (DNMO Remix)

_“Seven children, they killed. The ones that were reported missing from Ebott City, in the span of fifty years were three of the seven SOULs they needed, match the descriptions. Of course, there were probably more that fell, but they needed the purest of them all. Children, because their SOULs are pure and uncorrupted, he said.”_  
  
_“That makes sense, in a very disturbing way.” you muttered, drumming your fingers over your bicep, arms folded tight and eyes downcast. One sat comfortably in the interrogation room, on one of the metal chairs at the dented and scratched table, with a pile of dust across from him, where a monster had sat ten minutes ago._  
  
_The information that was gathered was enlightening. Monsters only surfaced for exactly one year and they were a force to reckon, something humanity had not been prepared to face. Luckily, the hunters were there to pick up the pieces and make it somewhat fair. ARES was a success for now and at only fifteen, you managed to wipe out monsters in the infected cities within an hour. The spoils of war, the hostages, monsters you managed to capture alive, were taken to the ARES facility, where they were tested, interrogated and eventually killed._  
  
_With this victory, the Anti-Monster organization would be funded and your father would be the one to control this branch. Thus, it would become possible for weapons against monsters to be created, specifically to kill them or entrap them for enough time to be killed, new technology to be developed._  
  
_So why didn’t you feel good about it?_  
  
_The sound of papers made you snap out of your thoughts and you turned your attention to the folders that One was rustling through. “Michael Crowe, Fiona Redds, Frisk --”_  
  
_“How old?” you interrupted, standing straight from your previous leaning on the doorframe position you had. Names were of no concern to you, not now at least, not when the world was breaking at the seams with what was happening out there. “Michael would have been eight when he fell, going by the report. Fiona was seven and Frisk...almost ten.”_  
  
_“Frisk was the last?”_  
  
_“Appears so.” One commented, closing the folders with each person’s name tagged on the side. You walked over to where the redhead was sitting, his eyes flicking up to you in question. “They assume that there were far more humans that fell...but they needed to choose,”  you repeated softly._  
  
_“Yes,” was his curt reply, while leaned back in the chair with his arms crossed over his broad chest. Gingerly, you plucked the folder with Frisk’s name on it and opened it, leaning one hip on the side of the table as your eyes scanned the contents. There was a picture of a child with a flower crown over their eyes, smiling brightly at the one taking the photo, their hands raised up to the buttercup halo over thick short locks of brown hair._  
  
_How could they kill innocent children like this one without any remorse? “Critter kept blabbing about SOUL colors...and some other nonsense.” One added, looking you over with interest, but dismissing the rest of the information with a lazy wave of his hand. Just as you were about to ask something else, knocking on the interrogation room’s door made you both look up at the entrance, which was opened nonetheless, only to see another hunter. Three._  
  
_“Brought ya’ll what you needed.” Came his childish tone, balancing a plate on one hand like a wannabe waiter. His baby blue eyes and shaggy brown hair gave him a very immature look, some even underestimating him for his baby face and permanent smile on his full lips, mistaking his age and well...that almost always provided the male with a tactical advantage in the field. He wasn’t number three for nothing._  
  
_Him and you were complete opposites, looks and behavior both, but in the field, he was equally efficient and showed no mercy, be it a slacking comrade or a monster begging for its life. That, you could admire._  
  
_Sometimes you thought you were too...soft, and wished to be more like him and One in that aspect. No matter how much you had been trained to lack emotion in this department, you just couldn’t help...feeling things._  
  
_It didn’t mean you showed any. You were just extra cautious and kept them under key, controlled them so well that no one suspected a thing. Would they be disgusted if they found out you had moments when you found yourself hesitating when killing a monster? Surely they would be. You would be too. Three set a plate on the table, one that contained food. “Monster food, yeah?” he chuckled, leaning on his hands over the table ledge and looking at you from underneath the curly brown locks, in a very mischievous way._  
  
_You remained unmoved, gaze back on the folder’s files in your hands. “Yes.” Came One’s reply, somehow infused with annoyance. You learned to read him well, especially when it came to b ody language, voice intonation and inflection. After all, he was your partner. The redhead stood from the chair and skirted around the table, movement which had you look back up and close the folder, intrigued to see what he had planned. Three seemed just as interested, turning the ocean blues from you, to his comrade. _  
  
_Without even a flinch, One shoved his hand into the pile of dust and then proceeded to sprinkle it over the food on the plate, which looked suspiciously close to cinnamon buns, the dust making it seem as if it was sugar on top, not the last bits of another monster. “I have two more creatures to break today.” He answered the silent question that you and Three had._  
  
_A shiver ran down your spine at how cold his voice sounded. He was literally going to make them eat their own kind without them even realizing it. There was a knot in your stomach, but you chose to ignore it, clearing your throat instead and sitting down in the chair One had previously used._  
  
_You would sit this one out. Literally._  
  
_As One left the interrogation room for the other two located at this level of the facility, you were left with Three. One didn't need to even ask you to join him, he knew you wouldn't because he believed you were getting easily bored by the wasted hours spent in the same room. “Even I can’t stomach some of the stuff this guy does.” The other hunter chattered cheerfully, eyeing you with intrigue. When you chose to completely ignore him, settling with trying to unlock the mysteries behind the specifics of these human children and what they represented to the monsters, he left as well, defeated._  
  
_What made their SOULs so special? In a spontaneous gesture, you opened Frisk’s folder again and pulled the picture attached to the documents free, before shoving the paper envelope away on the table. As you stared at it, you couldn’t help but wonder. If this child was the last to fall, the last needed link, why did it take the monsters two more months after they fell, to break the barrier? Surely, a ten year old child had no way of being able to protect themselves from a hoard of vile beasts, neither did they have the skills to survive so long down there._  
  
_The layout of the Underground, which the organization procured through torturous means from another monster, was not so complicated as to take the child two months to travel it whole, assuming they managed to get away and hide, while on the move. So what was it that kept the child alive for such a long period of time?_

...

  
  
A distant memory and a child with a flower crown.   
  
It seemed insignificant to you then, but now it was bugging you more than anything. That child that you saw in that picture so long ago, was the same that plagued your last dream and you kept going back to that again and again, trying to puzzle some unknown theory together to force it to make sense. Why did that child appear in your dream? And why did it have such an effect on your weird ass SOUL? Was it because you were Underground, where they died? It’s not like you believed in ghosts and all that shit, but you were open to possibilities, especially now when you kept pushing your burning legs further into the ankle-high snow and strong wintery wind that picked up, scratching your skin in the most horrible way.   
  
For a moment, you turned your eyes to the children behind you, cursing when you noticed them struggle and tremble like twigs. Most of all, you saw the look of worry and concern in the goat queen’s eyes, trying to shield them from the powerful wind as best as she was able, with her own bigger and broader body, remaining behind you and stretching the rope you had her on as much as it could go.   
  
You grimaced at the footprints left behind in the snow, your instinct telling you to go get rid of them, but there were the conditions that would partially take care of the problem and the fifteen fucking infants trailing behind you, with a psycho goat monster on a leash. What bad decisions did you make in the past to end up here right now? They moved slow and they remained behind, so you had to go back and pick them off, push them forward and waste even more energy than when you were on your own. Ally was the one you were most interested in looking after, but the others depended on you as well, so you had to... _ugh_.   
  
Three more kids crouched in the snow and remained behind. With some effort, you turned back again, boots crunching into the continuously piling snow, so you could shoo them back to the group.   
  
If you didn’t keep on moving, you wouldn’t get to the village that was supposedly ahead. Apart from the locations you remembered from back when the Underground had been mapped by the hunters, Toriel also confirmed the existence of it when you forcefully asked her about it, just a while ago near a river you found through some passage, right after you paused to let the children eat from the supplies you gathered. Someplace called Snowdin. Apparently, there were many abandoned houses and locales there, where you could all rest and eat in peace, until the storm passed.   
  
How the fuck was there even a storm down here?   
  
“The little ones are exhausted!” The goat monster wailed in your direction, voice a bit distorted by the blowing hail of snow. Your limbs were shaking, you could tell, but you couldn’t stop, you had to push harder.   
  
“We’re not stopping!” You yelled back at her, pressing on through the snow and against the wind, to get in front of the group of children that were huddled together and advancing slowly, like penguins.   
  
Toriel slouched in helplessness, letting you yank her after yourself, until you were in the lead again. Thankfully, she learned her place. There was nothing she could do anymore, her magic was lost and her strength was diminished, leaving her with no other option but follow. There was a part of you that was satisfied with her understanding where she stood, but you also suspected she complied just to be with ‘her children’. Crazy or not, she cared for them deeply, if her worried motherly glances were anything to go by. Didn’t make her actions right, but you could settle with this silent truce.   
  
“Come on! Push harder!” You yelled back to the children, an attempt at encouraging them even though you knew you were shit at that, not one for pep-talk. If you had been alone, you would have been able to move faster, hell, even with fewer kids, you were sure you could manage easier. The good side of this whole fiasco was the fact that you hadn’t encountered any monsters, but the bad part was that everything looked the same to you and the sights didn’t seem to change significantly except for a few clearings and narrow paths. Pine trees seemed to just line both sides on a long path to only god knew where and other than some frozen areas, there had been nothing to assure you that there was indeed a village coming up.   
  
And you were getting tired really fast, stamina running on low. Especially with the wooden ‘bridges’ over certain areas, without handles or bars or anything. Keeping everyone in line was getting harder and harder.  
  
Maybe you should have stopped at those other sentry stations you found, as soon as you noticed the wind pick up. The one with the dog treats inside seemed like it could have been a good option now.   
  
Too late for that.

If there had ever been signs to guide you in the right direction, surely time and weather destroyed them, so you had your gut to go with here. Toriel didn’t complain about the direction either, so that had to be good, right? Then again, maybe she was fine with letting them all die, it was a better way to die than at the hands of Asgore, in her opinion. Clenching your teeth, you glanced back again, mentally counting the kids to make sure none got lost behind.   
  
Your lips were dry and frozen, skin flushed red and hair wet with snowflakes, wiping around wildly. It was held in a ponytail once, but that was soon disheveled and loose as soon as you got into action.   
  
Then there was an ugly dip coming up , a slippery slope through snow and the only way apparently, which made the trek even more strenuous on both your part and the poor kids. Breathing hard, you slid on, small steps through the wind that was knocking your body back and trying to keep your footing through the now calf-high snow.   
  
When the road was no longer inclined, you returned to counting the children and checking on each of them, rubbing their arms up and down to cause some heat through friction, making sure they were huddled up and covered with blankets and most importantly, that none were suffering from frostbite, despite the fact that your hands were now frozen cold. Ally was on the verge of tears as you reached her and you muttered words of encouragement with a strained and painful smile. Using the monster candy was out of the question, because you would need it for far more severe situations. Besides, you could handle this, the kids were doing relatively well given the situation and Toriel wasn't getting any. So, that settled that.    
  
“We’re gonna be there soon, okay?”   
  
Unable to form words, the little girl just nodded. God damn it, you felt like a piece of shit for not being able to provide them and Ally of them all, with some well-deserved comfort. You felt so helpless, because it wasn’t as if you could just kick this weather’s butt and be done with. It wasn’t something physical that you could handle, it was out of your control.   
  
“Time to move! C’mon, c’mon! No more slacking off!” There was groaning, but everyone followed, and as you turned your gaze ahead, you felt a bit intimidated by how you couldn’t see anything else in the distance other than cliff edges, pine trees, snow and...small bridges over chasms, very high above tree tops. Falling over could mean imminent death.   
  
No pressure.   
  
Luckily, you passed through the gorges, with almost inhuman effort and legs becoming numb from the amount of overwork they were doing. If you kept this up, running around to check on everyone, making them pause so you could scout a bit ahead and return hastily, then you would surely collapse at some point.   
  
Another thing you observed with a tint of concern, were the traps, deactivated, clearly, but there nonetheless, rusty and broken, what used to be weapons scattered around, spikes that once made passing very hard and the most peculiar things that resembled puzzles of some sort.   
  
These were clearly made to challenge whoever fell down and wandered about, or keep away other monsters, though you could bet all your bucks on the first option.   
  
After you passed over another narrow ass bridge and waddled your way over a particularly slippery area, which you discovered were...tiles hid underneath snow, you all came upon a disturbing sight. The scenery changed a bit, but there were dog heads made of ice, swirling in the most twisted ways, severed from the bodies and making the whole peisage extremely terrifying and the perfect set for a horror movie.   
  
The trees in this area were particularly tall and -- _oh_! A booth! Hope was rising up in your stomach at the blurry sight of wood, only to drop to nothing once you approached and realized the construction had been destroyed, the roof having broken down over the stand under the weight of the snow.   
  
“Shit.” You cussed under your breath, tightening your grip on the rope latched to Toriel’s tightly bound hands. As if sensing your frustration, the goat monster struggled to approach, something that immediately had you on alert, muscles taut and head snapping to meet her in case she was going to try something. “Snowdin is not far from here, lost one.”   
  
Why the fuck did she keep calling you lost one? Regardless, there was relief flooding your trembling limbs. The kids were chattering behind you two, whining and shaking as they remained pressed together. Couldn’t blame them, even you were in a really bad shape right now. When you turned to them, all eyes snapped up to look at you, exhaustion clear on their flushed faces.   
  
“We’re almost there, okay kids? We need to push just a little bit more, can you do that?” you asked with a tired expression, hoping you wouldn’t be fought on this. There was one little boy that kept complaining as soon as you left after eating and he looked really frail, malnourished, so you were worried about that one’s condition. In fact, all the kids were starving and cold, by the way they cradled their stomachs and looked around at each other helplessly. They were losing energy and heat fast, especially in this blizzard that seemed to just chill you to the bone.  
  
...Two, _no_.  
  
Fucking pun. So not appropriate right now. “The faster we get there, the sooner you will all eat and rest. Just hang on a bit longer,” you continued to reassure them, feeling your own body about to give in. You were pleased when they nodded, reluctantly, but still agreed with you, so that was as good as it was going to get.   
  
The tricky part was the ice portion, a frozen area where slipping could equal certain death, right over the ledge of the cliff. This was crazy, no wonder no kid survived long here...well, until that last one. Now you just had to figure what was the connection between them and your SOUL just slipping out of your chest like it had a choice.   
  
Busying your mind with that nonsense, in part to ignore the aching, you found that you were almost across it, falling behind until all the children were past the dangerous ice, to make sure none slipped and fell or injured themselves. “That’s it, slowly.” you carefully guided a little girl towards the other ten on the safe side. Toriel stood at a respectful distance behind you, watching the children with the same kind of vigilance, keeping a damn regal posture despite her fur being blown harshly by the cold wind or the fact that she was actually crazy behind that mock calm.   
  
One boy of the remaining four kids suddenly yelped, making you flick your eyes in his direction. He tripped and fell on his knees and was trying desperately to not slide off. Toriel lurched by your side, but you yanked her back with a snarl. “Don’t you fucking dare!”   
  
“He is in danger, can you not see?!” she cried out with that mad desperation in her eyes that you saw back in the Ruins. No way in hell were you gonna let her get close. The shriek of the boy pulled your attention back again and you had to think fast. Free Toriel? No, she could run or kill the kids with her bare hands. Give her rope to the other kids? No, the same outcome. Take her with you to get the child? Fuck no, she might kick him off herself. God damn it! This was one of those damn situations in which you had to choose the well being of a group instead that of an individual's.   
  
_Or…_  
  
“Listen up!” you yelled at the other three kids that were still on the ice, who stopped to gape at the boy slowly sliding to the side, too scared to move and do something as to not end up the same way. You grabbed the hand of the closest one, a girl with blonde hair in braids, the scout. “Hold onto me and give your hand to the other. Hold hands.” They did as you instructed and you could feel their panic in the air, seeping through their shaking arms.   
  
“You, curly!” the other boy, closest to the slipping one, looked up at you. “Stretch out, grab him by the arm or something!” you continued, holding onto the girl as tight as you could, while she did the same with the other girl behind her, which locked hands with the curly haired boy that you were currently yelling orders at.   
  
“I’m gonna --” the panicked little boy started, eyes helplessly looking at you --“Shut up and push yourself forward! Take his damn hand!” you interrupted him angrily. These kids weren’t gonna last the journey if they lost their footing like this, both mentally and physically. He just stood there, trying to grab at the ice with his fingernails as he shrieked and cried, fat tears rolling down his already flushed face. He was wailing and shoving his legs, only to slide further down.   
  
“I c-can’t!!” he yelled in a high pitched tone, tearing your heart in two at how frightened he sounded.   
  
_No no no no_.   
  
This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Your heart shrank and your stomach knotted as you watched the boy slide closer to the edge, his feet dangling and then --  
  
“these slippery parts are snow joke.” There was Sans. The kid was hoisted up by the back of his hoodie, just before he fell off, and the skeleton just vanished from the ice, appearing on the safe side with the boy and depositing him on the snow. You stood frozen, eyes widened, staring back at where Sans was standing, close to the children. Then there was Toriel’s joyous cry and you were immediately snapped out of it.   
  
With strength you didn’t know you still possessed, you pulled and threw the other three children off the ice, before you yanked Toriel after you. In a second, you had your knife out and stood in front of the kids with the queen goat on her knees and blade at her throat.   
  
“Get the fuck away from them.” You hissed with trembling fingers on the handle.   
  
The skeleton started to sweat and looked at you taken aback. He then chuckled nervously and raised both his hands up, in surrender. “easy there, sweetheart. i ain’t here to hurt’cha.”  
  
Yeah, that’s what he said the last two times.   
  
“Sans! Kill her, take her SOUL and release me and my children!” the queen wailed as she struggled against your deathly tight hold. Your eyes remained fixed on him, relentless, even if your muscles quivered at the sudden surge of energy you had used for this alone. Why was your mind feeling fuzzy? Stubbornly, you tried to steady your hands.   
  
His eyelights shifted from you to Toriel and then to the group of scared children that were huddled behind you, unable to do anything but stare frightened at the display. You tightened your grip on the bitch and challenged him with a look of defiance. This time, you were't gonna play any damn games.  
  
“sorry tori, can’t do that.” he shrugged almost nonchalantly, closing one eyesocket. “like i said, i ain’t here for that, yeh?” this time, his red pinpricks were all on you, his grin widening and that awful golden tooth of his glinting dangerously among the razor sharp teeth that were bared at you.   
  
Toriel seemed to stiffen at that, not that you could blame her. That caught you off guard too. “What?” you found yourself sputtering that out before you could hold it in. “listen, sweetheart, if ya want the brats to live, ya gotta follow me. storms get a bit nasty over here.” he spoke so confidently, so full of himself, that it made you bristle.   
  
Didn’t he get the hint when you left him behind? Should've killed him.   
  
And how the fuck did he even --no, you weren’t going to question that. He proved to you a few times that he was far smarter than you gave him credit for. He also had the teleportation magic shit...you realize with some spite that you should have seen this coming.   
  
Unfortunately, you really believed he was gonna go on his own way. And if he ever came for you again, it would have probably been as an enemy, not offering help. The blizzard was getting worse and you could feel your whole body trembling under the pressure you were putting on your muscles. What was his ulterior motive this time? What was his angle? Were you going to walk into an ambush? Then again, you were clearly overwhelmed. Weaker, with fifteen kids at your back and an unstable goat hostage.   
  
He could easily dispose of you.   
  
He didn’t.   
  
Was it getting harder to breathe or were you just too focused? Sans waited patiently for your answer, eyelights flicking over your body for a second, as if assessing your state, his grin turning downwards after reaching your face and unfocused eyes. You swallowed thickly and felt the numbness run through you, exhaustion, overexertion, settling in as if you had been bound to blocks of bricks and thrown into the sea.   
  
The feeling was much like drowning, your vision getting blurry, breathing heavier and before you knew it, your knees buckled and gave in. But you held onto the neck of the goat monster, blade sliding dangerously close to skin as you sunk into the snow.  
  
Sans was by your side in a second and you distantly heard the crunching of small feet in the snow and faint screeching, wailing from...why was Ally yelling? His phalanges slipped through your cold fingers and the knife was pried away from your hand with such gentleness that it made your heart skip a beat. His familiar face, it...why did it make you hesitate and falter?  
  
Confused and slipping, you reached out for your only safety, tugging at his sleeve with eyes wide that stared up at him. He couldn’t take away your knife, no. What...what about...fuck! Why was he looking at you like that? It made you feel...  
  
You couldn’t even form words in your mind. “N-no…” you croaked pathetically, before your vision turned completely dark and you were sinking. You tried to cling to consciousness with so much determination, but you only ended up falling further, no matter how hard you fought against it.  
  
No no no...you were so close...so fucking close…  
  
“i got ya, sweetheart. i got ya.”   
  
_But the kids…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos, comment and bookmark if you liked it!   
> ya'll know i love your feedback~


	20. nothing but a cold heart covered in gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello, it's been too long guys!  
> i'm happy to be back and updating, summer has been busy  
> but here I am, with a new chapter. this one will be a break from all the crazy action  
> for now, haha, thank you all for the support and the lovely comments!
> 
> songs to go with this : dark cat - CRAZY MILK ; AJR - Weak

Mmmm.

So soft. And warm. You curled under the heavy blankets, sunk deeper into the large fluffy pillow and sighed in content. God, this was so damn nice. Was this heaven? Because you could definitely see yourself never leaving this place.

For just a second, you believed you were back at the base, or back at home, but your pillows were never this comfortable and the bed wasn’t so bouncy, both items were hard, which is why you got used to sleeping on most hard surfaces. But this? This was heavenly. It felt as if you were floating. You wiggled your toes and stretched out, a delighted moan slipping your lips as you felt the sore muscles in your legs and arms.

Wait, why couldn’t you wiggle your fingers?

Suddenly, it all came crashing down on you. Cold. Snow. Blizzard. Fifteen children. Toriel. Snowdin. Sans.

Sans.

You turned on your back and opened your eyes with dread, a sliver of panic crawling through your bones. Of course you couldn’t have anything nice going on for you. There was a ceiling, however, which meant you were inside somewhere. Groaning, you sat up, blinking fast to get your bearings. When you tried to flex your fingers, you realized there was some resistance, so you brought both hands in front of you from under the large fluffy blanket. All your fingertips had been bandaged.

Frostbite.

Maybe a first degree or so. Superficial, but incredibly annoying. You were almost naked, you noticed after a while of clenching and unclenching your hands, covered only in a sports bra and some boxers you had put on before you left for the Ruins that day. There was also a scratchy feeling in your throat and you probably had a runny nose as well. There was no way you could have gotten away undamaged from that motherfucking hailstorm.

The room you were in was decently sized, with a matrimonial bed, a wardrobe by the door, a vanity by one of the windows, with a chair and two nightstands on each side of the bed. The walls were a light cream color with pastel green in loose stripes and the floor was made of wood, some rugs covering certain areas like --oh, there was another door. Taking a deep breath, you pulled the blanket off and slid your legs over the edge, finding that they were extremely wobbly still.

Regardless, you slowly made your way to the other door in the room, shoving your shoulder into it as you opened it and...discovered it was the bathroom. This whole layout reminded you of motel rooms. There was also a bathtub, something you would be more than happy to try after you found out what the fuck happened.

The haunting look on Sans’ eyes on you, the way he just took your knife away. How your heart raced in those last moments before you blacked out from overexertion…

_Thump._

What fresh hell was this?

You placed your hand over your chest, trying to understand why you felt relieved when you saw Sans, despite all your carefully honed instincts going haywire. Clearing your throat, embarrassed by the way your heart skipped, you stepped inside the bathroom and proceeded to wash your face, taking a moment to look at your reflection in the mirror above the sink.

Bad case of dry and chapped lips, skin looked like the Sahara desert and hair was a tangled disgusting mess you weren’t interested in taking care of right now. And since when did you care about how you looked? Grumbling, you walked out of the bathroom and looked around the room for something to put on, finding your hunter outfit in the process, on the chair at the vanity and your bag on the other side of the bed.

Along with his jacket.

Why was his jacket on the floor of the room you were in? Choosing not to dwell on it too much, you shoved it aside with one bare foot and started going through the bag, finding the monster candy safely tucked under water bottles and supplies. Rustling through the items some more, you finally found some clothes that you had stuffed inside for good measure. It was a pair of sweat pants and a big ass t-shirt.

Should’ve gotten some socks.

You pulled the pants on and the t-shirt, before you gave his jacket one more glance. Yeah, you’d borrow that. Shamelessly, you picked up the black and yellow jacket and shoved your arms through the sleeves, finding the smell so familiar and….safe? Why the fuck were you sniffing his disgusting jacket? Jesus almighty.

Time to get moving.

The door of the room was opened, which you were thankful for because you were in no condition to break it off its hinges. There was a long hallway, with doors on both sides and a staircase leading to another floor. You paused when you heard laughing, then shrieking and the pit-patting of feet over the creaky wooden floor. Pretty sure it wasn’t a cry of pain, you tentatively descended the first flight of stairs, holding onto the rail to make sure you didn’t go tumbling down.

Sure enough, the lower floor was occupied by some of the kids that were with you, running around and laughing, using sticks in mock swordplay. You were dumbfounded. Utterly speechless at how at ease these boys were, stopping only when they saw you.

“H-hello M-Miss Two!” that little boy that almost died yesterday chirped cheerfully. The redhead and the curly haired boys did the same, giving you toothy grins.

“Where...where are we?”

“Mister Sans said this is an inn.” Curly spoke confidently, tugging on his shirt a bit. Redhead nodded eagerly “L-Like a h-hotel!” he added, his eyes twinkling.

_Mister Sans?_

You frowned at that, not sure what to make of it. “Where are the others? How did we get here? Are we in Snowdin?”

The boys looked at each other again and curly decided to answer, while the redhead and almost dead boy engaged each other with their sticks, running off to the other end of the floor’s hallway. You were almost tempted to yell a ‘don’t run in the damn hallways’ after them, but pulled it together, worried eyes returning to the boy in front of you. “Mister Sans brought us here, I think its Snowdin, there was this big sign…” he trailed off, scrunching up his face as if he was trying to remember.

What about Toriel?

Suddenly, there was more laughter coming from downstairs and you clearly identified it as belonging to Ally. You would recognize her voice anywhere. When you turned back to the boy to ask him more, he was gone, off to play with the other two. What the fuck was going on? Furrowing your brows together, you turned and went down the last flight of stairs that spilled into a lobby, with a couch and a long reception counter.

There, you had to hold yourself, because there was Sans on the couch, with Ally by his side, two more girls next to her and three boys on his other side, holding some playing cards in his hands, while the kids clambered over him to get a better look as he seemed to explain something to them. There were opened cans all over the floor and wrappers on the reception counter --what was this?

Did you hit your head? Was this a nightmare? Your eyes were the size of saucers, mouth open as you tried to work on something to say. The chatter continued, until Ally saw you and a large grin spread over her lips. “Two!”

You didn’t even have enough time to snap out of it when Ally lunged at you and knocked you back a bit as she hugged your legs tightly. “I was s-so scared!” she sobbed and yelled at the same time, squeezing you tighter and nuzzling her head into your stomach. “I-I’m so h-happy you’re okay!” she stuttered and you just stood there, arms raised a bit and staring dumbly at the little girl, not knowing what to say.

Finally, you patted her head reluctantly, raising your gaze to the other kids that were now surrounding you, talking fast and trying to get your attention all at the same time. God, you felt so overwhelmed. Then you made eye contact with Sans, who remained on the couch, elbows on his kneecaps, just staring at you in what seemed like...a daze? His eyelights...what the fuck was wrong with his eyes?

They looked like small red hearts.

And there was this red tint over his cheeks. “ya brats betta’ give ‘er some space,” he chided lazily, leaning back into the red cushion and crossing his ankle over his kneecap, showing off the pink fluffy slippers he had on.

You felt flutters in your stomach, but chose to ignore them in favor of checking every kid’s condition, especially Ally’s. Swallowing down your questions and doubts, you knelt among them and looked them all over, searching...trying to find anything that could be wrong, some kind of anchor, some kind of explanation --why was this happening and…

Holy shit, you were so confused. Just why? Ally giggled when you turned her head this way and that, then prodded her sides for any bruises and fingers for frostbites. “A-Are you feeling...alright?” you finally asked, voice hoarse. The others scattered about, some running up the stairs and some going behind the reception desk and messing with some old telephone there.

“Yep!” She bounced on the heels of her feet. “Mister Sans took us h-here! He g-gave us yummy f-food!”

He already fed them? “All of you already ate?” you asked incredulously. Why did he do this? What were his motives? Wait.

There were only nine of them that you saw. Where were the rest? Where was Toriel? “Mhm!” she nodded vigorously, her pigtails, which were not very symmetrical, bouncing up and down with her movement. This, you didn’t know what to do with this. Was this him apologizing for what he did? Was it some kind of ploy to earn your trust again? As if to ground yourself, you wrapped your arms around the little girl and brought her to you in a tight embrace, closing your eyes as you rested your chin over her small shoulder, taking in her scent.

This was real.

Reluctantly, you let her go after a few more seconds and cupped her cheek affectionately, rough bandages brushing over some strands of her hair. “Go play with the others while I have a word with...Mister Sans,” you spoke softly, the little girl nodding her understanding and turning away to the other kids at the reception desk.

Eyes hardened and mind focused once more, your feet moved on their own accord, until your knees were a few inches away from his. Red pinpricks fixed up on your face and the skeleton leaned back comfortably, perfectly relaxed and with a smug grin on his skull.  
“Are we safe right now?”

“yeh.” He replied simply, craning his neck and moving his gaze elsewhere in a lazy fashion, as if he was put off by the question and had expected something else. Compensation perhaps for his troubles? Hardly the one to back off, you crossed your arms over your chest. “And where is Toriel? Did you set her free?”

“nah. she’s locked up in a room an’ all,” oh for fuck’s sake! He actually believed a door was going to stop that goat monster from running free? Your distress must have shown plainly because he immediately turned those haunting eye lights on you “she ain’t got a way out, made sure ta trap her with my bones, so why don’tcha just chill, sweetheart?” he shrugged, razor sharp teeth hitching in a strained grin.

“We must discuss this, privately.” You muttered displeased by his answer and the lack of useful information. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he was here, that was for sure and you were far too smart to fall for his words again.

 

...

 

  
Few moments later, you found yourself glaring at him from across the room you woke up in earlier. He was casually standing there, pulling at his red turtle-neck’s collar and sweating profusely, eye lights off to the side. You stood by the door, just in case some of the kids decided to come by or if you needed a quick escape, more of an instinct than anything else. “So we have three days of peace here, that’s when you have to go report so they can come up here and the other exit is going to be guarded soon as well.”

“yeh,” he replied, rolling his sleeves up, looking extremely uncomfortable and still dodging your ice cold stare. “And Toriel can’t escape, you trapped her into the room with your...bones, so you know if she tries something?”

“yeh.” another curt answer. His hands got stuffed into his baseball shorts, red pinpricks up in a corner of the room. It seemed as if all his confidence back down at the reception just melted away as soon as he had to explain himself to you privately.

“Why? Why are you doing this? What’s your plan? What do you gain from helping me and those kids? What do you want?” you suddenly attacked him with a wave of questions, each one more desperate and suspicious, underlined by the narrow of your eyes and clench of your fists. “doll, i--” he started, but you stopped him with raising your finger and pointing it at him warningly.

“No, no more of that. I’m not falling for this cheap trick again. You rounded us up, right? Sixteen souls are better than one, right? That’s your angle, that’s what you’re trying to do, take advantage of the situation, bring us all down, tear us apart.” you accused, thrusting your finger in his direction as you took several steps closer, until your finger tip jabbed at his chest...err, ribcage.

“Hah, should’ve known! You couldn’t finish the job --maybe, maybe you were playing at this from the start! This makes perfect sense!” your cheeks flushed in anger, eyes wide with rage and panic. Dread was slowly settling in and your mind was running faster than a race car, thinking of solutions, trying to find a way to put him down, escape this, do something! This couldn’t be the end. You didn’t even notice you raised your voice or that your were slowly working yourself into a panic attack with how your breathing was speeding up.

“You’re gonna kill us all! Damn it, why did I have to fucking trust your words in the first place, I should have just --”

“shuddup.” lukewarm phalanges captured your hand, holding it tight, then your other hand was brought up next to the other, cupped by his in a very gentle but reassuring manner. “yer not even makin’ any sense, sweetheart, c’mon, calm down will ya?” his eye sockets were wide, red pupils rounder, dilated, brow bones pulled together in uncertainty.

Then you realized how crazy you were acting. Losing your cool under pressure was something you particularly disliked and this happening when you needed to focus the most was incredibly frustrating. For fuck’s sake, you were Two. Two never lost her cool. Never. Ice blues mirrored scarlets and you were starting to come back to your senses, practicing the familiar ‘count and breathe’ exercise you learned when you were younger and less experienced.

“das it, in an’ out. when ya calm down i’m gonna ‘splain everythin’, yeh?”

This was fucking embarrassing. Gaze downcast to your hands entrapped within his bony ones, you breathed in and out, counting in your mind, distracting yourself. Why weren’t you appalled by his touch? Why was he making physical contact like this? It felt...intimate. God this was wrong on so many levels. It took you more than you liked, but you eventually slipped your hands from his and chose to sit down at the vanity chair.

Distance was good.

“Explain.” you managed breathlessly, looking anywhere but not at him. You heard some shuffling and then the faint creak of the bed, which meant he sat down himself. “i did it cause i made ya a promise,” well, this was getting nowhere. Sighing, you slumped back on the chair and pinched the bridge of your nose.

“I don’t believe that shit. Last time I trusted that, you were going to hand me over. God knows what miracle happened to make you change your damn mind.”

“but i didn’t.” he countered casually, leaning back on his elbows “listen, i ain’t gonna hurt’cha. i was an ass, yeah? this me sayin’ sorry, doll. why would i have even helped ya if i wanted ya dead? soul is good either way, you’re a smart cookie, think ‘bout it.”

“What about--” “already made my choice, gonna stick with it, ‘sides, tori already saw me an’ all...see? it ain’t makin’ sense for me to turn against ya…” a pregnant pause fell over the two of you, while you remained in the chair, going over what he just told you, trying to find a flaw, an ulterior motive.

Toriel was the queen, so her status weighed heavy, therefore, him being seen helping you and the kids, that would put him at great risk. More so, he locked her up in a room here, trapped her so she couldn’t escape, something you still had to see with your own eyes, however. The kids were safe, fed, sheltered and you had three days at your disposal to think of a better plan, without worrying about supplies or weather. Hell, having a monster that could teleport around, that was handy and an advantage you could use.

“How long will it take them to reach the other entrance to the Underground. They can’t possibly go through the nearest one, it’s blocked, they would waste too much time.” you crossed your arms over your chest again, a faint smell of cigarettes and winter filling your nostrils with the movement.

“maybe a day or two, gotta go ‘round the mountain.” --four days then, to wind down and come up with a solution. “Where are we exactly?”

“snowdin, inn.” the rustling of fabric and carton had you look up, finally meeting his eyes as he was pulling out a cigarette from the pack inside his pant’s pocket. In an instant, you shot out of the chair and strode up to him, plucked the cigarette and pack from him and threw them on the vanity.

“Don’t even think about smoking in this room. I’m not gonna smell your stinky cigarettes when I go to sleep.” your sudden reaction had him slack-jawed, staring up at you with wide eye sockets and caught off guard.

_Thump._

Shit. Finally, his expression fell into his usual resting-bitch-face, and his red pinpricks regarded the pack on the vanity with irritation. You stepped aside just as he made to stand up, the silence awkward and proximity unbearable. What the hell was this? You found it impossible to hold eye contact with him for more than a few seconds now. There was a warmth in your chest and a flutter in your stomach, something like relief, and a lot like comfort and ease.

Grumbling, Sans stalked over to the vanity, took his cigarettes and left the room with a slam of the door for good measure.

Well, that was a wild ride, you decided as you looked around the now empty room. There was so much to think about and calculate and consider, you didn’t even know where to begin with. First things first, you needed to get your head back in the game and that meant figuring out if Sans was truly trustworthy, going to see the goat queen and finding your knives.

And not getting overwhelmed in the process.

So far so good.

.....

Maybe you needed a smoke as well. Inhaling deeply, you also left the room, a bit reluctantly. The commotion inside the inn died down and you figured the kids might have gone to sleep. This theory came to fruition when you reached the reception and saw two of the girls napping on the couch. Considering you came down into the Undeground at sunset, walked maybe an hour, slept, then marched on for what felt like half a good few more hours, if the broken watch of one of the kids was anything to go by, that meant now it was supposedly midnight.

Corroborated with what Sans told you, 72 hours from now, you had to be ready. Give or take a few hours. Regardless, you needed to think hard and take into consideration every possible scenario.

A cold breeze chilled you to the bone as soon as you pushed the inn door open, which in return prompted you to close it fast after yourself as to avoid any of it getting inside and to the girls on the couch.

Sure enough, the skeleton was leaning on the wall by the door, smoking a cigarette and staring blankly into the distance, not even acknowledging you, even though you were pretty sure he was very much aware of your presence. Pulling the jacket closer to your body, you joined him by his left, leaning on the same wall and taking in the surroundings. While abandoned, Snowdin looked...cozy, like one of those pretty little christmas markets, with wooden houses and pretty lights. A very...joly-good-fellow sort of feeling, christmas-y and crisp and wintery, granted without the lights and with no laughter or crowds on the streets.

“Can I have--” you didn’t even get to finish your question when a cigarette was thrusted in your face. Clearing your throat, you plucked the stick from his phalanges and placed it between your lips, prepared to ask for the lighter, when, again, said item was already firing up the tip. As soon as you took a drag and made sure the cigarette was lit, he withdrew his hand and stuffed it into his pocket.

You blew out some smoke and closed your eyes, trying to clear your mind. Your bandaged fingers already ached, so you placed one hand in the jacket’s pocket, the other loosely by your side with the stick between your middle and index. “Sans.”

“mmm..”

“Do you promise me that you won’t...betray me? I need to know that this time it’s real…” you breathed out, opening your eyes to inhale from the cigarette.

A pause.

“i hate makin’ promises, doll.”

So that was that then. You lowered your head and busied yourself with the cigarette again, determined to finish it and go back inside faster.

“for this one, i want somethin’ in return, howsaboutit?”

Your gaze snapped towards him, watching him closely for any indication of what he might want. Knowing him, it was probably something stupid like mustard or having to endure a bunch of his grotesque jokes, so taking that into account, you were quick to reply. “Yeah, anything, but only _one_ thing.”

He turned to lock his eyes with yours as soon as those words left your lips, a red hue covering his skull, sweat starting to form on top of his head and his expression genuinely surprised. “a’ight. heh, didn’t think ya were that desperate,” he spoke smugly, face back to its usual shit-eating grin and narrowed sockets. Like the devil himself put that twinkle in his eye.

“No, I want to hear it.” you countered, brows furrowing together as you flicked the butt into the snow. “yeh yeh...i promise i’m never gonna betray ya. nah, i promise i’m gonna help ya and the kids, do everythin’ so ya can walk free from this shit, sweetheart. that ‘nuff?”

Okay, you had been caught off guard by that one. “Uhh...yeah...that’s good enough.” and you had to take it or leave it, but also keep in mind that he wasn’t forced into this one, he didn’t have any device on him, you didn’t have to threaten him in any way, he was not pressured, so...perhaps….maybe you could…

_Should you?_

“What did you want in return? A bottle of mustard or an hour of me listening to your awful jokes?” you changed the topic fast, burying your nose into his jacket’s collar before it froze.

Another pause.

You turned your head slightly, catching him fidgeting with his shirt’s sleeves and looking positively uncomfortable, like back in the room. That red hue was back on his face and he was sweating for real now. It seemed like he was also unable to tackle the right words.

“i ...well --”

….

Oh god, he was gross. Now he turned to look at your inquiring stare. _Thump. Thump._

“lemme take ya on a date…”

_What?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment, kudos and bookmark if you liked it!!!  
> feedback is what i live for, hmu!


	21. when i chase after affection, it won't chase after me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeeey! so it's been a while huh?  
> well, here's an update to keep you guys warm and comfy before everything goes down  
> i hope you guys will enjoy this as much as the last one! comment, kudos, bookmark pls!
> 
> songs to go with this : My Boy - Billie Eilish ; Matt Maeson - Cringe (Stripped)

_What?_

Staring was all you were able to do. Sans was getting extremely irritated the more you did.

“wha’? t’was either a date or a blowjob, i was tryna’ be a gentleman.”

Your mouth fell open, face scrunching up in incredulous disgust, unable to make words happen. What were you even supposed to say to that? In what parallel universe did he think this was okay to just throw out there? Standing straight, you shook your head and skirted around him in a furious storm, right back inside and up the first flight of stairs.

Sans was hot on your tail, popping out of thin air just as you made the turn for the second flight of stairs. “what’re ya doin’? ya didn’t even --” but he clacked his mandible shut when you whirled around with eyes that could burn down a city. “I won’t even dignify that with an answer!” you hissed in a hushed manner as to not wake up the kids.

This seemed to anger him. Baring his razor sharp teeth at you, he took a daring step towards you, meeting your heated glare with his own scorching one. “ya said anything!”

“Yes, I said anything! Within reason!” you countered, jabbing a finger in his sternum. “what’s not reasonable ‘bout me wantin’ ta take ya on a fuckin’ date?”

“Other than everything!?” you threw your hands up as you screeched this at him, feeling ridiculous for even thinking about it. Without giving him a chance to reply, you turned your back and started up the stairs, determined to put an end to this crazy.

You came upon Sans again, when you reached the top, but you didn’t give him any time to say or react in any way, just shoved past him and to the door of your appointed room, opening it and slamming it shut after yourself, to make a point. To any normal person, that might have been enough to send a message and take the hint, but as you stared at the door, convinced that he understood, the skeleton monster surprised you again.

“now can ya fuckin’ ‘splain to me why i’m bein’ unreasonable?”

What the shit?! You whipped around so fast you could swear you heard your neck crack. Sans was lounging on your bed, one knee up, head propped on a hand and eyes lazily staring at you as if this was the most casual conversation in the world. “What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?!” that almost gave you a heart attack. You leaned back against the door, one hand over the jacket, where your heart raced like that of a rabbit’s.

“what’s wrong with _me_?” he snarled “what’s wrong with _ya_?! i’m bein’ reasonable.”

This time, he sat up on his ass, crossing his legs and starting to look clearly agitated by the whole thing. Did you really have to explain why this was completely wrong? It was like explaining why the water was wet and why fire burned.

God, what the fuck?

“You’re a fucking monster!” you yelled at him this time, unable to keep your voice down with how angry you were getting. He rolled his eyes. “way ta point out the obvious, doll.”

“I’m a hunter! I was trained to dust you! This is inappropriate, _you_ are inappropriate! We’re smack in the middle of a shit storm and the only things that you can think of is dating, fucking and a blowjob?!”

“i only asked for a fuckin’ date, don’t exaggerate.”

“Are you for real??”

“all magic an’ bones, sweetheart.”

“I am not going to continue this conversation!” you hissed with finality in your tone as you stood straight and unzipped his jacket, letting it hit the floor without as much as a second thought and kicking it to the side. That’s how you found it anyway. “it ain’t a _no_.” you heard him speak, knowing fully well he had that smug ass grin on his face without even having to look.

“It’s _not_ a yes.” you countered as you pulled your pants off and then shimmied out of the top, tossing it down on the ground with the offending jacket. “i’ll take what i can, doll.”

You turned to him with a pointed look, before you knelt on the bed with the intent to get sleeping, the skeleton very much present on it still, red eyelights roaming over your body shamelessly. This time, you felt something within you ignite with embarrassment. “Fucking stop!” you screeched at him, pulling the blanket on your side a bit forcefully. He had a way of making things that seemed trivial and unimportant to you before, extremely uncomfortable and creepy now.

“Get out!” you added, shoving at him with a foot through the blanket, as soon as you climbed in. “an’ where am i s’pposed to sleep?” he shouted indignated, leaning forward with a scowl, but remaining on the bed without a sign that he would budge.

“Not here.” this time, you turned on your side, back to him, intent on getting some shut-eye. “well, _your_  brats took over the damn place!” he accused, shoving back with a bony ass knee that made you cringe and crane your neck to glare at him.

“The reception couch.”

“ya know two of ‘em are sleepin’ on it.”

“Then sleep on the floor. Didn’t you say you wanted to be a _gentleman_?”

“fuck that, i ain’t no rug to lay on the floor while ya lounging ‘round this huge ass bed!”

Whatever. You had to sleep with others in the same bed before, so you shouldn’t have a problem with this either. With a grunt, you turned back and pulled the blanket higher, effectively covering yourself up until only your hair stuck out.

….

After a few moments of complete silence, you felt the bed dip lower a bit and your skin tingled at how close his presence felt. “sweetheart?” --shit, he was close. Your body reacted immediately, tensing up, becoming fully aware of him and his position.

“Yeah?”

You tested the waters, decided to respond, be done with this, make him go away. God, he was so creepy. “do ya believe that even the worst person can change? that everyone can be a good person, if they jus’ try?”

His question sounded strained, exhausted, as if he was a person that had long stopped fighting, gave up on trying anymore. _Look at you_ , calling him a person. Swallowing the feelings bubbling through your body at the raw emotion with which he asked that, you shifted until you were turned around completely, facing the skeleton that was laid on his side, a few inches apart from you. Ice blues roamed over his skull, taking note of the red lines under his eye sockets, the stiff grin and dimmed red pin-pricks, the golden tooth and the few sweat drops lingering over his temple.

He looked so gross.

 _But_.

You sighed and moved your gaze to the pillow underneath his cranium. “Yes.” the reply you gave him was swift, sincere and full of faith, undoubting. Maybe you would never admit this if someone else would have asked you, not in a million years if it were another hunter or your father, but this was Sans and he was a monster that you’ve seen from different perspectives, angles, points, situations, he was more than what the old tomes made him to be. He wasn’t a cold-blooded killer, this moment was a testament to that. They were capable of compassion and…. _feeling_.

He was so unequivocally  _human_. A very twisted deranged human with some potential mental issues, but, still human. Then again, could you really blame him for being hostile when all they knew was that humans shunned and trapped them under a mountain with no way out? For all you knew, they were probably just as scared of mankind as mankind was of them.

The difference was the way they reacted.

For them, it was ‘kill or be killed’ --a mantra some monster One captured long ago, kept repeating over and over again when it was interrogated. They didn’t get to have what humankind did, no sunlight, no sky, no --your brows furrowed together and you looked him in the eyes again, finding him staring at you with such an intensity that it made your heart skip.

_Thump._

_Thump._

“Stop staring like a creep and turn around.” you suddenly threw at him half-heartedly, feeling your face get hotter. He was about to sass out a comeback, but stopped once he met your daring scorching glare. Huffing, he turned his back to you and settled comfortably on his side, a few more grumbles leaving his mouth in the process, before silence fell over you both like a comfortable old blanket.

_Don’t let the bed bugs bite._

 ...

Finding sleep was a chore on itself, Sans realized, after some tossing and turning. Eventually, he grew too tired and he succumbed to exhaustion. Taking naps whenever he wanted became a luxury the moment he met Two, which resulted in him wasting more energy than usual with staying awake and alert all the time.

It didn’t help that he had to teleport some of the kids and then use his magic to trap Toriel in a room, not to add that the cage of bones he made for her needed sustenance and that in itself was draining.

Then, he had to go to the old Grillby’s, find food for the kids. Monster food couldn’t spoil and he was lucky to find some stuff over there, mostly canned. That took some effort, as he had to actually walk instead of pop in, since he had already used too much magic...but his sweetheart wouldn’t be happy if the kids weren’t taken care of properly, so he had to push himself, grumbling and spating insults all the way.

But he did it. _For her._

He fed the brats, then took his time to look her over, bandage each of her fingers, tuck her in, cuss at some of the punks that managed to sneak into the room, worried about the huntress, especially that little girl she was so fond of, the one she went through all this shit for. Kid had guts, he had to give her that, stood up to him the moment he caught Two back on the way, demanded he let her go or else. Of course she had no real threat to make, but stood up bravely to him and he found that her SOUL suited her. Orange, bravery.

After some negotiations, in which he had to make the kids follow his instructions, trust him to lead them to safety, he managed to convince them that he was a ‘friendly’ monster and he was only looking out for Two. They were smart kids, they probably realized where they stood in this situation and complied, after supposedly bunching up together in a circle and trying to seem as if they were having a debate to decide if they would agree to his terms or not.

T’was funny to watch. It felt...like Frisk.

To keep them busy and away from Two’s room, he brought in some cards and some sticks, found some stuff around the reception and like all kids, they were won over easily, bellies full and either getting sleepy or playful.

That’s how Two found him. On the couch, with some brats all up in his personal space, while he was teaching them how to cheat in a game of poker. Kids knew poker, right? He assumed they would be familiar...all humans knew card games, he guessed, after meeting the ones that fell in the Underground. Frisk knew poker.

_Smack._

A few times throughout her sleep, she managed to kick him, slap him and jab him, waking him up every now and then, until he just gave up and slid as far from her as the bed could allow. His thoughts drifted into dreams once more.

ZZZzzz

zzZZZzz.

Zz.

Mmm, this was nice. Warm and soft. When he opened his eyes next, having had his fill of sleep, Sans found himself in a very complicated situation. Two was laying all over him, her pelvis pressing on his, still asleep by the way she snored softly...and drooled. Apparently she was more exhausted than she appeared. Usually she would have been up before him, doing stars know what, or at least she would stir awake the moment she felt his eyes on her.

It was incredible how keenly aware of everything around herself she was.

Feeling risky, he pushed his hips upwards a bit, the contact making him incredibly needy and voracious. His red eye lights dilated and watched her face closely, the way her brows twitched together making him stop abruptly. She shifted a little, her cheek squished on his sternum, but didn’t wake up, instead, a large quantity of her raven locks were dragged over his face, making him sputter and cough, trying to rid himself of the annoying hair.

Why the fuck did she have to have so much of it anyway?!

There was a certain hum in the air, something that had him cease all movement. Red light bathed the room suddenly and he tensed. Peeking through a strand of her dark hair, his pinpricks landed on the small heart floating right above his face. Two grunted softly and sighed, nuzzling her face in his sternum as if it were a pillow.

Shit.

Her SOUL, it was out. He couldn’t do shit, just stare at it in awe, the red so brilliant, pulsing with vitality and her essence, everything she was. It was the rawest part of her. This was her, without anything, she was bare before his very eyes.

_His._

Just his. His own SOUL thrummed and sang, wanting to be closer to hers, to meld with hers somehow, be part of her and her part of him. Stars, he was drooling and reaching out. No, no, this was not --shit, he couldn’t stand it any longer. His phalanges brushed the side of her SOUL lovingly, gently …

And he was suddenly somewhere else. But, it was still him and she was still herself --but different? _His eyelights watched her with so much adoration, while she was smiling sheepishly and holding a fork between her teeth, watching him with mirth in her baby blues._

_“Stop staring at me like that, you dork!” she suddenly laughed, not able to keep her grin at bay as it broke through and had her face light up completely. There was an unfinished slice of pie in front of him, her plate was almost empty, except for a few crumbs. “Eat your pie already!”_

_“but i only got pies for you!” fuckin’ stars, when did he get so corny? He felt so different, so weird. He glanced down at the tea spoon in his hand and...he saw someone that wasn’t him, wearing a blue hoodie, a tame and playful grin on his face, white pin-pricks._

He gasped and he was back, her heart no longer floating above his face and her body heat no longer over him. Breathing hard, he shot up, seeing her cowered at the foot of the bed with her eyes widened and just as shocked as him. Did she see what he saw? Why did he see all that by touching her SOUL?

“Get out.”

“wha’? wait, i --”

“Get out!” this time she yelled and he complied without another word, scrambling to his feet and almost tripping over his own feet, struggling with the fluffy slippers and then his jacket, before he was out of the room.

Stars, what did he just see?

 ...

You were horrified. Not only did you wake up sprawled over him, but he was staring blankly at your SOUL, touching it, arm in the air as if he was in some kind of trance. It felt so overwhelming that you just jumped away, panicking and --it was over before you even knew what exactly happened. You felt so much in just a second that you just couldn’t get a grip, not even after he left, not even an hour later.

_But you had to._

With shaking hands, you took a shower and dressed yourself, went down and ate with the kids, spent some time with Ally and began thinking of your route out of here. Sans wasn’t around for most of the day, appearing only once it was approximately six pm, and even then, he dodged your eyes and you dodged his, because you didn’t know what to make of this.

The feeling, the adoration, the affection and anxiety you felt, was unreal.

And you knew it wasn’t you feeling those things. Regardless, you had more important things to worry about and that involved fifteen kids and an army of blood-lusting monsters on your ass. Currently, you were sitting on the reception’s couch, the kids gone to sleep since it was already ten, and scribbling on a piece of paper --more like doodling if you were honest with yourself, trying to come up with a tactic, trying to think of the next ten steps of the enemy in this situation.

You had a sharp mind and you were decent with creating schemes, seeing the opponent’s next moves in advance and expecting them, having a plan ready in case the first three went to shit...but you were far from the brilliant One. This alone was frustrating and making you sag your shoulders and rub your eyes tiredly. Asgore wasn’t king because he got lucky, he was an incredible strategist from what you heard, able to anticipate the anti-monster organization’s moves even before they even thought about it. This barrier was proof enough. Hell, he had waged war before, he was...so experienced and you...you were just…

_Just you._

Suddenly, you felt the weight of the situation fall over your shoulders like a ton of bricks. Hopelessness was not something you felt often or at all, but faced with this...you felt the pang of it beating into your chest and twisting your stomach. The possibility of dying never looked as real as it did now.

Without any warning, a mug was slid your way, spilling some dark liquid over the piece of paper you had been scrawling on for the past few hours. “Hey! Watch it--” and then you met the half-shut eye sockets with dimmed red pin-pricks staring down at you.

“ya stink.” he offered simply, taking a seat next to you and casually leaning back, crossing an ankle over a kneecap.

“Stink?” you showered, _excuse him?_ “i can smell your despair from outside.” he explained, closing his eyes and letting his skull fall over the couch’s top cushion lazily. It caught you off-guard, not only because he was talking to you but also because of how in tune he was with how you were feeling inside.

“That’s just disturbing.” you simply commented, brushing your fingers over the paper to get the stains off but only managing to make a bigger mess. That made you peer curiously at the mug he had brought you, leaning closer and sniffing. “Coffee?”

“figured ya need some, when ya feel _depresso_ , all ya need is some _espresso_ , yeah?” he peered at you with just one eye open and a smug grin on his face. You just stared at him incredulously. How could he make puns at this moment? “You are fucked up --” he abruptly shifted, his nose cavity almost touching your nose.

“and ya ain’t, doll?”

Your breath left you and you tensed, instinctively, your fingers twitched at the empty feeling of not having your knife with you. Hell, you could feel your blood rushing right in your ears and you knew already the tips were red and your cheeks flushed, heart slamming into your ribcage. Could he hear it?

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Why weren’t you smacking him or punching him away yet? He had said those words to you before, but this was different. Things changed, there was a shift between you and him and you didn’t know if you liked it. Momentarily, your eyes flicked to his mouth, stretched into that sharp grin of his --it felt so forbidden to even look at him as if he were more than a monster...you felt so ashamed. Your breathing came a bit heavier as he drew nearer, his eyelids drooping, his skull angling while you were suddenly drunk in a haze. Those feelings...that adoration and...

 _Thump. Thump. Thump_. The coffee mug was completely forgotten.

Your lips trembled and you swallowed hard, blue irises hidden by fluttering eyelashes that were slowly coming down to kiss your cheeks.

Was this really happening?

You felt his phalanges suddenly cupping your cheek, the bone over your skin and then you were pulled closer, his mouth on yours, hard and needy. He had no lips, but it didn’t feel any different than kissing another human. It was awkward and you bumped teeth, but you felt your heart soaring.

Something inside you was burning like a firework and before you knew it, his tongue was licking your lips and his hand was gripping your side with bruising tightness, the other tangled into your hair and forcing you closer, deeper, rougher.

He yanked your head back, baring your throat to him in such a primal way that it had you biting back a low groan, his tongue sloppily tracing your collarbone and neck, before his teeth bit and nibbled mercilessly.

When had you even ended up in his lap, why were you straddling him...or rocking against him so lewdly? Fuck, _you needed to get a grip_. “S-Sans...we--”

“shuddup.” he underlined that authoritative demand with a buck of his hips and a particularly stinging bite under your collarbone.

“N-No!” you weakly pushed against his shoulders, his hand under your shirt that had slid up beneath your left breast paused and he looked at you, panting and drooling and sweating, giving you a deathly glare.

You were panting as well, gulping down air and trying to come up with words as you stared at him and how possessively he was holding you down to him. “I need to...I need…”

“what do ya _need_ , sweetheart?” he whispered that in a very ravenous tone, gripping your hip harder. Get a fucking grip! Fifteen kids, lives at risk, hunter, barrier, _Asgore_!

“I need to speak to Toriel.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'll know i love the feedback, so give it to me, yeah?  
> kudos and comment if you liked it!


	22. even if it crashes, you're my baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back at it again with an update  
> probs the last fluff chapter? we'll see! smut will come too, don't be too disappointed ;D  
> here's hoping you'll like this one as well!
> 
> songs to go with this : Echosmith - Goodbye ; Social Repose- Filthy Pride

The wind rustled the leaves of the oak trees by the City Hall, bringing with it a silence most unusual and eerie, but King Asgore knew better. He knew that the wind brought the whispering promise of a new dawn, a change, a difference. He could feel it in his old bones and muscles, up to his heavy horns atop his black maned head. The tea in the porcelain cup he was holding had long gone cold, the cup’s plate shaking softly in his large talon-tipped paw.

Was it a change that would affect them all? Yes. He was certain of it. His crowned head bowed and he finally let his crimson eyes linger into the green liquid inside the vessel, dark circles underneath. “Has your brother returned?”

The air was colder at night, especially on the third floor’s balcony that had always been in the shade of the great building and corona of the trees surrounding it. The sun never reached here, only barely when it was setting, something that Asgore preferred greatly what with his fur and royal garbs. Buttercup flowers in large pots filled the tiled floor, along with some other exotic plants, by which a lone chair sat, overlooking the quiet dark streets of Ebott.

“NO, MY KING, BUT I, THE TERRIFYING PAPYRUS, WILL --”

“No need, Papyrus. We will move on the third day, assume the hunter captured him and my wife.” his gravely voice silenced those behind him, standing in the large doorway, one tall skeleton monster and a blue scaled fish monster with vibrant red hair. “Undyne, make sure that the troops are ready when I give the signal and that Doctor Alphys has the Human Blasters prepared.”

He set the cup down on the balcony’s decorative ledge sat atop hourglass-like columns. The marble looked pristine in contrast to the floor and the yellow flowers that occupied the space. They helped remind him of his motivation, the reason for the suffering he was hell bent on bringing upon humankind at all cost, his son, Asriel, and his demise.

“Yes, King Asgore!” came the lively reply from the female monster, tinted with something like wicked excitement. Even as Undyne left, Papyrus lingered, the captain of the royal guard, very much aware of the king’s change in posture. “WILL THAT BE ALL, MY KING?”

“Yes, Papyrus. We will make an example of her, tear every limb from her body and wear her skin as our flag, so that no human will ever have the audacity to try this ever again. They will learn to fear us and in due time, fall to their knees, beg for the mercy they have deprived us of…” but Papyrus knew what he really meant was the mercy that the king’s son was deprived of. The cup cracked audibly and Papyrus took a step back. He would be a fool not to fear the king’s mood swings, especially when it came to his hatred towards humankind.

“VERY WELL, MY KING. I SHALL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS I HAVE NEWS ON MY BROTHER’S SITUATION AND PASS ON YOUR ORDER TO MARCH ON THE THIRD DAY IF NOT.”

He didn’t wait for the response of the king, choosing to dismiss himself before he became the subject of their ruler’s ire.

 

* * *

 

  
Sans was not pleased with the outcome, you could tell, but this needed to be done.

While he stubbornly stood leaned on the doorframe, grin downwards and clearly annoyed by the narrowed eye sockets and body language, refusing to even participate in any way other than lingering behind, you were trying to come up with questions that could be answered by the goat monster.

There were large bones sticking out from the floorboards around her, in a circle, making it look as if she were in a cage, large enough for her to pace a few steps and sleep curled up, but not enough to give her too much freedom. Regardless, as soon as Sans unlocked that door, Toriel was visibly agitated and furious, glaring at the skeleton that simply stuffed his hands in his hoodie’s pockets and remained unmoved.

“Toriel, I’ll need you to answer a few questions.” you began simply, stepping closer to the makeshift cage and taking in her appearance. She looked worse than before, if that was even possible, but you weren’t about to give her the courtesy of a bath now. Her sharp red eyes fixed on you in muted disgust, yellow sclera making them stand out in a very creepy manner.

“About your husband, the king --” “My _ex_ -husband.” she corrected swiftly, bite to her tone. Well, this was already a terrific start. Clearing your throat, you crossed your arms over your chest and looked her in the eye, unimpressed. Usually, you weren't the one to conduct interrogations, mainly because you were shit at the procedure...but you'd do your best.

“Don’t care what the fuck you two are, all I care about is making sure your _ex_ -husband” you emphasized the ex part mockingly “--doesn’t get to kill those kids out there. I need to know what’s the most likely outcome. How is he like? How does he think? I need to know everything.” you circled the cage as you spoke, the goat monster’s gaze never leaving your face. There was a softening in the hardness of her stare when you mentioned the children, but it was gone instantly and she glanced away.

“You must be a fool to think I would aid you, naive and miserable child.”

Back at it again with the patronizing name calling. A displeased growl coming from Sans made you furtively send a glare his way, but Toriel was faster. “And you? Betraying your own kind? How could you?” she spat his way passionately, lurching forward and grabbing at the bones in anger.

Sans grunted and rolled his eyelights. “dunno why ya thought t’was a good idea to try an’ get’er to talk.”

You sighed. Okay, you had to get to the bottom of this. “Toriel, why did you choose to separate from Asgore? Why remain Underground with the kids instead of up there with him?”

The goat monster whipped her head towards you, burning hate in her eyes.”You do not know what he --” but then she stopped herself, placing a paw over her muzzle and letting herself slide on her knees to the ground, before sitting down properly. She bowed her head and looked as if she was in pain “--you do not know what he is capable of! Since our son's death...he...has been...” the female trailed off, her voice cracking.

“Are you scared of him?” you approached the side of the cage, crouching so you would be at her eye-level. “Is he..is he that bad?”

“He killed those poor children...that miserable creature...every time one fell, he --” a pained sob and Toriel’s gaze met yours through the bars made of bone. She didn’t have to say it, you remembered very well, the reports, the missing children, the SOULs needed. “He reigned through terror and fear, he was the one that…” she didn’t continue, a sob rocking through her body once more.

“he was the one that created the 'kill or be killed' law. wan'ed us to weed out the weak, so that only the strongest survived, messed up, yeah?” even Sans sounded nervous just speaking about their king. When you looked up at him, he dodged your gaze and stiffened visibly. “he killed many of our own too, ya know...he don’t really care that much…”

They were terrified of their king, that much was clear. Not only that, but it seemed he was driven by revenge, a sentiment you knew could keep someone motivated for eons if the result was worth it in end. Without a king, was there a chance to --”What would happen if he stopped being a king? If his influence disappeared?”

“heh...that ain’t possible, doll.”

Toriel shook her head. “He is too strong, he holds no compassion for humans, consumed by his grief...his vengeance…” she slumped against the bones of her cage “No matter how determined you are, lost one, you cannot defeat him…” --well, you were aware of the fact that he was a boss monster and boss monsters were almost impossible to defeat, unless --

“I can’t...but what about a squadron like me?”

Both Toriel and Sans looked at you with widened eyes. “wha’? ya wanna bring white-faces in here? they’re gonna kill us all!” the skeleton monster yelled, standing up straight and glaring in your direction.

“No! They won’t. Not if I can do something about it…” you stood up as well, wheels turning in your mind, a plan finally starting to take root. “What if...what if I can save both sides….without Asgore, there would be no reason for monsters to come at us, no orders to obey from someone stronger than them, no more reason to fear.”

“t’would be chaos! stars, are ya crazy?”

“No, it won’t be chaos, not if --” you suddenly smiled, feeling hope surge through your body as pieces and bits came together. You turned towards Toriel and looked down at her “I think I can save both sides, I think I can find a way,”

The goat monster stared up at you languidly “Those words...you remind me of someone I once knew…” she spoke quietly and with melancholy in her voice, before her gaze fell behind you, at Sans and the soft eyes hardened once more.

In an instant, Sans was by your side, grabbing your arm “yeh yeh, whateva’, le’s go.” and pulling you away from the cage and out the door before you could even understand why he was doing it. You didn’t fight it, however, you had enough now and you were feeling as if you were on the right track finally. He let go as soon as you were in front of your room’s door and looked at you oddly, as if trying to find the right words. “look, sweetheart, i don’ think ya know what you’re up against here --” but you silenced him by placing your hand over his mouth, catching him off guard.

“Shut up. I’ll tell you everything once I hash it out. For that I’ll need silence to think, so let’s go inside and we can talk there once I’m done.”

Mood completely killed, the skeleton grumbled and followed you inside the room.

...

“So the generator for the barrier is actually inside the City Hall.”

“yeh.”

An hour later now, you were sharpening knives while Sans watched you from atop the bed. The sound of the blade across the bottom of the mug stopped shortly as you paused to go over your calculations again, on the sheet of paper by your side. “And you know how to turn it off?”

“no kill switch, i’d have ta destroy it.”

Sighing, you resumed, finishing the butcher knife Sans so thoughtfully brought you from somewhere he called Grillby’s old bar. Regardless of the familiar name, you were thankful for the gesture. By the clock, however, it was already three in the morning, and yet you could not bring yourself to sleep, not when you were giving shape to your escape plan.

“Last known checkpoint for the hunters was the one I was near by last time…” you mumbled to yourself, trying to remember the street name, the intersection, back then in the car with Ally. “Rosebud…” you paused again and placed the knife aside this time, turning to the paper and grabbing the pencil you’ve been scribbling with, down at the reception. It was a good thing you found these behind the desk, otherwise you didn’t know what you would have done. For as long as you’ve learned to strategize your way out of things, you found it very helpful to write down your thoughts and draw your routes, doodle your calculations to keep you focused.

You shifted your legs so you had them crossed and then bent over, the hardness of the floor boards offering you a steady surface to scrape on. Vaguely, you drew some lines, the roads you remembered, every turn and intersection you drove on towards the barrier on the west of Ebott, picturing the map in your mind. Then, you made a semi-circle, which cut off a line at some point. “There’s only one road...at least on the west side, only one road that goes outside,” you commented, looking up at Sans on the bed. His eye lights were set on your paper, a hand under his head and that downward grin still on his face. “yeh...an’?”

“Only one road! That means the checkpoint, from what I know by the way we operate, must be set somewhere outside Ebott, on this road. They must have blocked it, to stop anyone from coming towards Ebott or coming out of Ebott, specifically monsters.” you explained, sitting back up.

“I’m not sure about other checkpoints, but I am certain about this one. It must be at least ten minutes away, enough distance to see anything coming from both sides, a strategic placement.”

“i don’ get it. what’s that got to do with the barrier generator an’ all?”

“Because I need to know how much time I have to stall them so you can get to the checkpoint with the kids and alert the hunters stationed there, get my message across.”

There was a long moment of silence. “wha’? are ya crazy? ya wanna kill me? tha’s suicide! ya think they just gonna lemme walk in there? gimme a cup o' tea for my efforts?”

“No, no, listen!” you got on your knees and crawled to the bed, coming face to face with him, elbows touching his over the edge of the mattress. “Sans, I can’t have the kids around while this goes down. You have to take them outside of the barrier, to the checkpoint, it’s the only safe place for them to be. I can get Asgore to bring down the barrier in exchange for Toriel. I’m not stupid, I know he will probably raise it back up as soon as he has her, but it gives you enough time to cross over with them if you’re already there and waiting.”

Red pin-pricks moved over your face, incredulously, brow bones drawn together. “no...no i ain’t gonna--” you stopped him by grabbing his hands in yours “Sans, I _need_ you...to do this for me. My first priority is the safety of these children. They are innocent in all of this, please!”

“how’re ya even gonna get them all --” he paused when he saw you smile brightly, red dusting his face and sweat starting to appear on top of his skull. He looked away and cleared his throat “how’re ya even gonna get them all by the barrier?”

“A car ...no, a _bus_!” you replied swiftly, letting go of his hands, hopping up on the bed by his side and promptly falling back with your arms stretched above your head. “Tomorrow, can you teleport us above? Somewhere like a school or a place where we could find a bus...we need to prep one up, check the engine, check the fuel and wheels…” you trailed off and yawned at the end, closing your eyes.

“yeh...i can do that…” the bed dipped a bit, before you felt weight over you and then a wet tongue sliding over your exposed neck. A shudder ran through you and instinctively your hips twitched with a low groan from your lips, making the skeleton exhale sharply and grip your side tightly.

Your eyes opened and you came face to face with him, grinning down at you wickedly, some red slimy drool over his chin. God, he was so gross...but you’ve never felt so...intensely with anyone before, regardless of that. With frightening ease, he knocked one of your legs to the side and made space for himself between them, pressing his pelvis down on yours. The sudden friction made you inhale shakily. What was it with this guy being so horny all the damn time? His other hand slid under your shirt and right over your breast without pause. Why were you letting him?

God, what was wrong with you? “you’re so fuckin’ good, ya know that, sweetheart?” he pressed his teeth to your neck in a pseudo kiss and squeezed your breast through the sports bra you had underneath. “Good?” you breathed out, bringing your leg up at his hip and rolling up for more friction. He didn't answer, only continued to rut against you, starting to breathe heavily into your throat the faster he went.

“mmm...fuck...can’ even think straight with ya…” he pressed down harder, this time...something... _oh hell_. Did he have a --”Sans... _sans_ …” you repeated his name, sounding a bit slurred by how nice this sensation was “We can’t...not... _haa_..ah...not now…” you were panting and you didn’t even realize it, that’s how clouded your mind was getting.

...

  
And how the fuck was he even supposed to stop when she was making all this noise? He grunted and pressed down again and again, against her core and _stars_ he could feel how hot she was already. Finally, she was underneath him, flushed and panting and needy, so how in Asgore’s name was he going to stop himself? Why did she keep denying him? Fuck responsibilities and fuck the kids and fuck Asgore, he just needed her now, here.

“Sans...I still need to... _ah_...I need to finish...th-the.. _hnn_..pla-ah...plan…” the pace grew and he could feel himself twitch, his magic buzzing all over the place, mind going blank. How could she still think of anything? Her SOUL was flaring and burning so brightly for him too.

_Thump.Thump.Thump._

“fuckin’ stars...jus’ stop talkin’...” he groaned out, his hand slipping under her sports bra and feeling her breast, how soft and _heh_ \--hardened it was already, his other hand leaving her side where he was sure a bruise would blossom soon, to hike up her shirt and yank her bra with it so he could properly greet -- “Sans!” her breath hitched, but her hands came to push him, weakly, yes, but still push him enough to stop his actions abruptly.

“the fuck’s the problem now?” he yelled frustrated, pulling his hands away and sitting up on his knees between her legs. She came up on her elbows and glared at him “Why the fuck are you getting angry?! We can't do this! I can't sleep with you...I'm not ready for this?!”

“well i’m fuckin’ sorry, but what am i s’pposed to do with this?!” he pulled his pants down just enough to let his erection free for her to see. Immediately, her eyes widened and she covered them quickly, blushing furiously and sputtering, scrambling away from him. “What the fuck!?” she screeched and fell backwards, off the bed, in her haste to get away.

“s’just a fuckin’ dick! why are ya runnin’ off like a fuckin’ virgin?!”

“Sans what the fuck!” she screeched again from the floor, not even standing back up from where she fell. “Stop flailing your dick everywhere! God, this is so inappropriate!”

The moment was fucking dead _again_. With an aggravated growl and some cusses, he pulled his pants back up and crawled off the bed, stomping over the the other side, where she was laying down on her back with her eyes still covered, face, ears and neck red. “le’s jus’ fuckin’ finish your fuckin’ plan an’ get this over with, yeah?”

She peeked through her fingers at him and when she saw that he was decent, she sighed and sat up. “Yeah, that would be great.”

...

  
Another hour later, she was snoring softly into his hoodie, both having chosen to sit on the floor, with a map sprawled over their legs. He had criticized her ability to draw the roads and the barrier and she had daringly asked him if he could do better, which he did, by coming back a few minutes later with a map. They had pinpointed a school by the edges of Ebott, where they were sure they could find a bus and marked the route he was supposed take.

It was quite an ingenious plan, hell, he was very much impressed with her ability to think fast on her feet and come up with such a scheme all on her own. Her leg gave out from its bent position and fell ungracefully over his, startling him from the sleepy haze he was slowly drifting into as he stared unblinkingly at the many streets and roads and buildings.

Her SOUL pulsed calmly, the hum it made lulling him into slumber slowly, until he finally leaned his head back over the bed edge and closed his eye sockets. Tomorrow, it would start, the beginning of the end.

He didn’t know if she understood what this meant, what her plan would bring upon monsterkind and what change it would cause to the world he knew. The prospect of her death, it filled him with dread...but the possibility of her living, it filled him with something he had long forgotten the feeling of : _hope_.

Did she know? Weakly, with his arm wrapped around her shoulder, he pulled her closer into his side.

_Thump. Thump._

ZzzZZzz...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to kudos, comment and bookmark if you liked it!  
> ya'll know i love the feedback, so gimme gimme gimme! <3


	23. if you wanna free your body tonight it's our secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello~ it is me again, with an update!  
> this one is much longer than the others, there is also smut. yes, the real thing, so beware.  
> if you wanna skip it, avoid the part marked with an S  
> it ends with the same mark, so there you go.  
> had to go over this chapter a few times and i still feel like its a bit eh orz hopefully you guys will like it though  
> it's about to go down, next chapter's gonna get them all back on track and have a sans pov, this is all reader's
> 
> songs to go with this : Neon Hitch - I Know You Wannit ; grandson - Kiss Bang

“Tank is full on this one,” you commented as you hopped off the school bus you and Sans found. It was located towards the slums of Ebott, which served you well for your intention to remain unseen by monster eyes.

After trying a public transportation bus you two found abandoned on a street and then a few others on the way here, which of course, lacked the fuel necessary for the trip, you finally came upon this one by a school’s grounds, called St. Gabriel. After wiring it up, since it missed the keys, you got to start it up and bring the engine to life, expectantly watching the fuel indicator going up. There was enough to make it to the barrier and then out.

The skeleton monster popped the hood up and climbed up on the lip of the bus to inspect it for any problems, task which you joined him on, eyes expertly looking over the tubes for anything missing. “Filter’s looking good...check the oil,” you pointed out, which Sans started doing without even asking where that was. It gave you a good idea that he knew his stuff from how he handled the information.

Duh, he did say he helped build those Human Blasters.

From how much you knew about engines, it looked to be in good condition and nothing seemed to be missing, so you slid off from the bar and to the wheels, crouching to inspect them in case there was a flat. “gonna need some oil...but tha’s not somethin’ i can’t get for ya,” he spoke from behind the hood.

“Alright,” the front wheel on the left was good. You kicked it lightly to test just how hard it was and found that it was decent, not soft but not too stretched either. Before you went with Sans on this little journey outside the Underground, you put Ally in charge of the others, gave her one of the walkie-talkies you repaired back at the warehouse.

Rear wheel on the left was good as well, same with the rear right one. “sweetheart?” his way of calling you became so usual that you immediately peeked from the front wheel on the right, with a questioning look. “are ya sure they’re gonna...listen ta me? ya can promise they won’t gonna dust me?” his eyes were downcast, phalanges busily dealing with some plugs you couldn’t see from where you sat.

“Well...I will give you a message to deliver for me, give you my name, which is something confidential and the only ones that know are, well...my comrades. There’s also our passcode, a phrase we use in case we’re compromised,” you explained as you continued to check the wheel. “If I’m right, there aren’t any hunters that over-rank me at the checkpoint, so they won’t go against the word of their superior in the hierarchy, they will need to call up the higher ones, which is probably a council member or a liaison between them and One, the only hunter that out-ranks me,” you sighed and stood up, finished with the wheels and now looking up at Sans. He was still uncertain, fiddling with a hose and being uncharacteristically quiet.

“As soon as they get the go, you will give them the walkie, so they will speak directly to me. Don’t go anywhere with them, though, refuse anything they might offer and keep to the exits. I still need you back there for the barrier generator.”

You were too close to freedom to have Sans bail out on you now. Guiltily, you realized you might have been manipulating him a bit with small incentives, but...who could blame you really? He was infatuated with you, so much you were aware of, so in this shitty situation, why couldn’t you use that to your advantage. Yes, it felt wrong, but...the end would be worth it, right? He made you feel so strongly for some reason and you were tearing yourself up on the inside, but your training told you otherwise. Had to keep your eyes on the prize. In fact, this might be the only chance humankind and monsterkind would have to finally sit down and fucking talk instead of killing each other. If you looked at it this way, was it so bad to want it?

“Hey..” you hopped up next to him by the hood, cupping his skull with both hands and making him look up at you. “It’s going to be alright, just trust me...l trusted you when I woke up in Snowdin, didn’t I?” shit, you felt horrible for guilt-tripping him into this, but you had no choice. His eyelights shifted to the side and he grunted, probably remembering why you left and how he lied to you, which is what you had intended. It was primordial for him to do as you told him and be there when you needed him to be there so you could have a slim chance of survival. “a’ight...fine...whateva’ ya say…” he shrugged away from your hold and climbed off, using his magic to slam the hood down hard and startle you half to death.

God, he was such an asshole. A _malleable_ asshole, thank heavens.

Not the one to give up just yet, you went after him, tugging his jacket’s hoodie by the faux fur. He turned his head just enough to glance back at you, his resting bitch face on. “wha’?”

“Sans...I need you to promise me you will do this.” Your voice was serious and your eyes were peering at him as if you were trying to read into his every little twitch. “I need to know you will be there and you won’t abandon me…” you added, fingers grasping tighter on the soft fur. “Can you promise me that?”

His eye lights dimmed and his grin looked strained, but then the red pinpricks looked down at your chest, and somehow through you. “yeh…’m gonna promise ya. i gotcha sweetheart, i promise i gotcha…” his voice sounded weird, almost sad, but at least you had something to hold him on now and if lying to you at first made him twist and turn so bad, you were certain that he would keep it this time.

You smiled, despite the pang of guilt in your stomach and yanked him to you, embracing him from behind and burying your face into the fur. The smell of cigarettes, winter and mustard greeted you and it felt almost comforting, something to look forward to, like a security blanket. “w-what’re ya doin’?” he struggled half-heartedly into your hug, but ended up just giving in and reluctantly leaning his skull on your head, a bit aggressively and with a grumble.

Small incentives. It would keep this going until it was over with. Not that...you were complaining either. Your cheeks felt hotter and you buried your face deeper into the gross smell of his jacket.

“So, do you even know how to drive a bus?”

“...how hard can’it be?”

 ....

 

Right now, Asgore was probably marching to Mt. Ebott. That thought alone made you shudder and worry, especially when you looked at Ally and the kids. You didn’t bother with names, because chances were, if these brats were gonna escape, they wouldn’t remember you either. Currently, the little girl was sitting between your legs on the reception floor, playing around with the walkie-talkie you gave her. The other kids were either sitting on the couch behind you and over your shoulder or around you, listening intently to what you were telling them.

“So Sans will take each of you to the bus. I will need you to stay quiet there, take your seats and wait for the signal. Do you remember what the signal is, Ally?” you asked as you raked your fingers through her uneven pig-tails. The girl nodded her head affirmatively. “O-orange!” she stuttered out, turning to face you, albeit with worried eyes.

“Can’t I c-come with y-you?”

God, this brat sure got to you. It was weird how you never felt particularly anything towards children, in fact, they more or less annoyed you, yet this little girl managed to...soften you in places you didn’t even know you possessed. The very devotion with which you hunted after her and took out any obstacle to get to her was testament to how strongly you felt. “No, it’s too dangerous,” and possibly deadly, definitely deadly, suicidal.

This line of thought made your stomach twist with dread and anxiety. It was too late to even turn around, there was no other way out, no matter how hard you tried to look at it from different angles. There was just one road, a one-way trip straight through it all. Fear was not something welcomed in your line of work and you never felt it before because no situation was comparable to what you were facing now. There was always that unpredictable future that you relied on --and your skills, your comrades, your fancy weapons. Now? Now you were marching towards certain death, just like Asgore was marching straight towards you. There was a window of uncertainty in your plan, one that nobody knew of except you, because it involved the regulations of the Anti-Monster organization.

_They didn’t have to know._

The brown eyes of Ally pleaded, but you only quirked a brow, letting her know there was no discussion about this topic. Knowing that she was going to be free and back with what she had left of her family, was enough to drive you through the feelings washing over you now. “Alright, you kids better go to sleep now, I’m gonna wake everyone at six sharp,” you spoke as you stood up, dusting off your pants. The kids groaned and moaned, but got up and stubbornly climbed up the stairs, some complaining about the hour and some about the curfew you just instilled.

Ally still lingered behind, watching you with her brows drawn together. “Ally, you should go too, get some shut-eye. Tomorrow’s gonna be a --” she cut you off completely by hugging your legs tightly and burying her face into your thigh. Taken off guard, you hesitantly patted her head, unsure of why she reacted this way or how to make her feel better about it.

“Hey...it’s gonna be alright, yeah? You’re gonna be fine, I promise.” you tried with a softer tone, but that was thrown out the window the moment you heard a sniffle and a sob. Was she crying? Why was she crying? Her embrace only tightened. “A-Ally? Are you alright? Why are you crying?” it reminded you of the first time you met her, when she cried as soon as she understood that you were safety, that she was going to be fine with you.

Something inside you quivered and you sighed. “Ally…c’mon, don’t cry…” your hand stroked her head lightly as her little shoulders shook. “W-what if y-you’re n-not gonna be b-back? W-what if t-they t-take you?”

 _Ah_. You bit your lip, her worries starting to take shape. “But I will come back, have some faith in me,” you joked, trying to make light of the situation. Her face turned up to look at you, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Your gaze softened completely and you wiped both her eyes with your thumbs “So stop crying, they aren’t taking me anywhere, I’m gonna make sure of it,” saying that, you made sure your eyes meant exactly that, not letting doubt flare in your voice like it was flaring up in your mind.

She sniffled again and her bottom lip trembled. “Okay, you know what? I’m gonna tuck you into bed myself,” with that said, you easily picked her up, a squeal slipping her lips at being lifted so suddenly, and leaned her on a hip, hands under her bottom to support her as you started up the stairs.

 

 .. S ..

After you made sure Ally fell asleep in one of the inn’s rooms, along with the other three girls she was staying with, you checked on the others as well, satisfied when they all appeared to have listened to your order. Tiredly, you then dragged yourself up to yours and Sans’ room.

Hah, _yours and his_. Not something you ever thought you’d put together in a sentence.

The plan was made, it was put into motion already and now you simply sat down on the empty bed and stared blankly at the hunter suit, laying on the vanity’s chair. All knives had been sharpened, equipment checked, strategy repeated in your mind for dozens of times.

_What now?_

You leaned your elbows over your knees and sighed, eyes fixed on your hands as you studied them closely. They were trembling.

“bus’ parked on the street ya wan’ed it on,”

You lurched up, heart racing again at Sans' popping-out-of-nowhere antic and startling you out of your quiet thoughtful moments. “Jesus! Can you stop doing that?”

He had that shit-eating grin on his face again, arms crossed and leaning on the wall behind you, on the other side of the bed. “what got ya all _ruffled_ up?”

“Am I supposed to not be _ruffled up_ considering what’s about to happen?”

“gonna be jus’ another day, doll.”

You scoffed at how simple he made it sound and sat back down, shoulders slumped. “I’m not supposed to be this anxious...that’s not good for the plan…but I can’t help it and it’s annoying,” you confessed, voice sounding exhausted.

It felt as if you had a certain time set, time that you would run out of no matter what you did, like a clock bomb that you couldn’t diffuse. Maybe it was this knowledge that even prompted you to say these things. At least someone would know about your inner struggles for once.

“You know...I didn’t choose to become a hunter. It’s the path my family has taken for...eons, generation after generation, my father trained just like me, his grandfather before him, so on and so forth. I was never asked about what I wanted, never knew anything else and I kinda regret that…” you smiled bitterly, turning to face him. For the first time since you met him, he was completely quiet, choosing to just stare at you wordlessly, so you took that as your cue to shift and face him completely on the bed, crossing your feet.

“Girls my age usually worry about college, passing exams, dating the right guy, deciding what nail color they want for next week and finding the right job...I wish I knew how that was like, just...working a normal job and doing something I like. I always wondered how being a barista is like, you know, serving people their favorite coffee and seeing so many faces every day, writing their names on their cups. I have really neat handwriting, in my defence, so...I think I’d be good at that…” your smile curled up a bit as you looked around the room, hands shaking in your lap as you folded and fidgeted “I’d really...like to have that normalcy, I think that’s what I crave the most. A normal job, a normal relationship, a normal life, a routine I can follow, the same pattern...a dog…” you laughed half-heartedly at that. Maybe it was the anxious panic and dread talking. Remorsefully, you lowered your gaze, noticing just how jittery you were becoming.

A phalange tugged your chin upwards and before you knew it, Sans bumped his teeth over your lips in a pseudo kiss, looking down at you with half-shut eye sockets as he stood on his knees a few inches away from you. He parted a second later and you were left staring up at him, conflicted --then he did it again, this time cupping your face in both hands and shutting his eyes completely.

God, you never felt so torn and unsure about yourself.

Another kiss. His left hand slid behind your head and yanked you back by your hair, eliciting a soft grunt from you at the spike of pain.

And another kiss. This one was heated, he parted his mouth, his teeth biting into your lips and that disgusting tongue of his finding yours. It was sloppy and wet and gross, but it felt so intimate and understanding that you could feel yourself burning up from the inside. Boldly, you reached up and grabbed his turtle neck, pulling him closer to you, action which had him grin wickedly against the flesh of your reddening lips. “really hopin’ ya won’t get _flighty_ again,” he added, pushing his whole weight onto you and making you fall back on the bed.

“You say that as if _something’s_ going to happen,” you retorted back, shifting slightly underneath as he straddled your hips. “c’mon sweetheart…” his eye lights trailed over your face with something akin to...sympathy “lemme take _care_ of ya.”

The hand still gripping the material of his sweater loosened a bit, ice blues trying to find flaws in everything he was saying. Hell, you were looking for a reason to make your position against this solid, make yourself deny everything that was happening between you and him, proof that it was just the isolation that was causing such a response from you. His mouth latched onto your neck, sharp teeth scraping the skin and making you shudder. He lapped right underneath your jaw and your eyelashes fluttered halfway down. Gooey saliva trailed down your throat, where he paused to give a rougher nibble, before he descended to your collarbone, licking and biting at the flesh, while his phalanges grasped your hips hard.

It was hard to concentrate. _He was a monster, you were a hunter_. This, you kept yelling inside your head, trying to push yourself away, force your body to move, but...there was the knowledge that tomorrow you might not be alive anymore. There was the fear that these were quite possibly some of your last moments in which you could feel anything other than dread and anxiety.

Maybe... _maybe_ it wasn’t so wrong if you indulged this once.

The uncertainty of what the next day would bring, filled you with determination to do everything in your power to focus on the forbidden fruit in your grasp. It would distract you and nobody would know. _Nobody had to know_. He bunched your shirt up, over your sports bra, with ease, and you didn’t even realize you were complying until you shoved the offending garment to the side. Grinning lasciviously at how cooperative you were being, the skeleton lowered his mouth over yours again, his detestable tongue touching yours, brushing together roughly, leaving you dazed when he pulled away “stop overthinkin’ and jus’ let go, sweetheart…” at his encouragement, you swallowed hard, closing your eyes. Maybe if you stopped focusing on him being a monster, it would be easier on your conscience.

_How pathetic._

He bit right under your breast, where the bone jutted out, making you arch your back and grind your groin over his. _Shit_ , he definitely had something growing there. How long until you gave up control and yolo-ed it? “da’s it doll, let go..” he chuckled, slipping a hand underneath and yanking your bra up and over. A moan left you as the cold air made your chest heave and nipples harden. “Shit…” you found yourself groaning as he lowered his mouth to your bosom and swirled that tongue over the right areola. It was warm and it made you lean your head back into the bed, as if refusing to look at him, to acknowledge what was going on. His hand trailed up and squeezed your other breast roughly, causing you to buck your hips up. Then he bit hard --”What the fuck!?” you jolted at the pain, eyes snapping open instantly and body shuddering for a second. He was grinning down at you, amusement and lust in his red pinpricks, tongue sliding over his razor sharp teeth. “ya thought i was gonna be nice an’ gentle?” to emphasize this, his knee came up to your groin, hard, making it obvious just how wet you were underneath by how uncomfortable it felt when he pressed into you.

But holy fuck did it feel hot and turned you on.

A tingle ran through you and you gritted your teeth as you glared up at him. “‘nough playin’ house yeh?” unfortunately, you couldn’t respond because you didn’t exactly trust your voice, but before you could even make a semblance of a complain, he pulled his knee away and left you breathless when he hooked two fingers around your sweatpants’ waistband and pulled down. In one swift move, he had them to your knees, along with the offending panties and their wet spot in the middle. Sans didn’t leave it at that, however, he tugged again, forcefully, and effectively got them off and thrown on the floor. The reality of the situation hit you as soon as you felt yourself exposed, sopping and needy. Damn it, how the fuck did you end up here?

The skeleton took a moment to take you in, like a wolf would with its bleeding and incapacitated prey. Your heart was racing, beating hard in your ears as you stood there, frozen, positively riled up, unsure and conflicted. There was still a chance to back out of this, but there were no words forming in your mind, there was just blankness as you stared up at the monster, lips parted, flushed and breathing heavily.

His hands settled on your thighs, his phalanges firmly grasping the flesh as he forced them apart and then pulled them up, the back of your knees over his shoulders and your ass off the mattress in one second. You gasped, taken aback by how easily he handled you and how fast he let you know what he wanted. No words were exchanged, there was no need for them when he brought his mouth to your cunt, and definitely no need for anything when his tongue slipped over your slit and devoured your insides with ardor. He fucked you relentlessly with his appendage, dragging it in and out, flicking your clit and lapping at the wetness that slipped out occasionally. In that moment, you couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, you could only moan and whine wantonly, writhing and bucking your hips so he could reach deeper and give you more. “F-fuck... _haaa_ ….S-Sa...S- _ahh_ ….” you had to cover your eyes with an arm draped over them and the other holding the knuckles to your lips so you could bite into them and muffle the cries of delight spilling out.

Bone scratched the skin of your thigh in his grasp and he pushed his tongue deeper, curling it up over a spot that made you quiver, his nasal cavity nudging your clit in the process. A higher pitched moan resounded from you and your back arched, pushing your groin into his teeth harder. Inhaling sharply at the contact, your muscles tensed around his slobbering appendage and he groaned against your labia. This sent a vibration through your body that had your stomach knot. Your calves tensed and the muscles in your thighs clenched over his shoulders, your whole frame shuddering as your orgasm washed over you in waves.

It was a struggle in itself to breathe normally, not when he kept a savage pace of fucking and lapping at your pussy throughout the sensations running you over the edge. Your mewls and writhing had him go at it harder, until it became uncomfortable and you shot out a hand to push his cranium away. “P-please... _haa_...please s-stop... _ah_ …. _mmm_ \--S-sans!” another weak push and he let go, dropping your ass to the bed and watching you with a glint in his eyes. It was a miracle in itself that you lasted so long with how well he knew what he was doing, something you were slightly proud of considering your lack of a sex life. He proceeded to wipe his mouth with his sleeve, the grin never faltering.

“thank ya, _cum_ again,” he just had to say that, didn’t he? You covered your face with both hands and groaned. “ _cum_ on, can’t say that wasn’ a _load off_ ya mind, can ya?”

There was the sound of rustling clothes and you took that as your cue to -- _oh god_ , he had his dick out. He took off his jacket and was now holding his shirt’s trim between his teeth, one eye flaring red, the other empty, a red phallus shape in his left hand, the basketball shorts lowered just enough to let his erection out.

And he was stroking himself while watching you intensely, then moved his gaze between your legs. It was ludicrous how aroused this made you and how red your cheeks turned at the realization. Besides, you were pretty sure you had been smeared enough with his saliva, so now it wasn’t just wet it was probably drenched. Your mind being clouded by lust and need, there was not enough room for your rational side to chime in and nudge your conscience, there was no guilt, remorse or self-hate there, not yet at least and you were thankful for the breather.

Nonetheless, your eyes were just shamelessly glued on the sight, unable to look elsewhere but at how his hand worked his shaft, wondering what he was planning to do next. Clearly, you were too far out at sea to even think about turning back around, might as well continue the journey. Sans seemed to have a tight grasp on what he wanted as well, because he wasted no time in pulling your legs up around his middle and rubbing his cock over your slit to get himself slimy enough. The friction made you groan softly and tentatively reach a hand down to touch yourself, but that action was promptly stopped when he slapped your hand away.

“Wha--” he cut off your inquiry by shoving it all inside you, stuffing you full in one go and causing your whole body to tense at the burning sensation. Your mouth remained open, choked on a cry at the unexpected motion and eyes watering slightly. He lowered himself over you, elbows framing your head and his blazing eye staring mercilessly into your ice blues. It was quite a frightening but exhilarating view. His grin hitched higher, mirth mixed with desire dancing all over the contorted expression on his face. “ya have no idea how long i’ve wan’ed ta do this, doll,” his tongue slid over your neck and his hips stuttered, pulled back and then pushed forward. “It fucking hurts, you sack of shit --” his teeth touched your mouth heatedly, with the intent to silence, making you taste yourself. Fuck, it was so filthy, but --you reciprocated, hands coming up to grab his turtle neck tight and your tongue sliding over his. You moaned into the kiss that turned into a hot mess really fast as he bottomed out again and thrusted back inside, roughly and without hesitation. His tongue brushed and laved yours, his sharp teeth nicking your lips when he finally pulled away so you could catch your breath again.

Another harsh thrust that had you inhale sharply.

“I swear to fucking god I’m going to fucking kill you…” you spoke in the haze of the moment, voice cracking with each syllable as you leaned your head back, eyes closing at the tingles in your stomach. He grunted his response “promises, promises...” a snap of his hips making his cock reach deeper and graze over that one spot that had your toes curling. Consequently, you tensed your legs around his middle and brought him closer, arms encircling his shoulders and holding tight.

“F-Fuck me harder…”

“yeh, i’m currently tryin’ ta do that, sweetheart.”

His pace quickened after he said that, forcing a moan out of you each time he shoved back in, the obscene sloshing sound that was produced only serving to make you arch into him and roll your hips every time they met his. Through your half-shut eyes, you saw him starting to sweat, the normally repulsive sight giving you a sense of satisfaction, no matter how boorish he looked. Then the tempo slowed and you opened your eyes completely, wordlessly questioning his decision with a hint of hostility. Sans stopped completely and pulled out, cracking a wickedly wide smile down at you, before he grabbed your hip with one hand, phalanges digging into your flesh, and flipped you on your stomach.

What the fuck...even?

You struggled to turn back, but he halted all your fussing with a firm hand on your back, pushing you down into the mattress. “gonna let ya see me in _hindsight_ ,” his hold loosened, but then he pulled your butt up to level with his hips. In a second, his cock was stuffed right back into your cunt, the new angle offering you an exciting new palette of tingles down your spine and deep into your womb. “ _Oh fuck_ …”

“atta girl,” he slapped your left cheek hard, eliciting a loud whine from you, choked by a pleasured sob from your throat. “heh, ya like that, lil’ freak?” another slap on the other cheek and a muffled wail from you. By that point, you had to bury your face into the mattress to stop the noises, each thrust making you cry out. He leaned over, one hand on the back of your neck, pushing your head further into the bed, the other keeping a bruising grip on your hip while he brutally rammed in and out without pause. Your back was arched to the point that it hurt, legs spread but still holding on your knees somehow, withstanding each punishing slam. “stars, sweetheart, you’re so good, ya know that?” his voice sounded husky, breathless and gruff all at the same time. The only thing you could do was moan in reply and curl your fingers into the covers until your knuckles turned white.

The savage pace never slowed down, not even when you felt your orgasm crawl over you and you made an attempt to get away when the waves crashed on you. He grabbed you by the hair and yanked your head back, the spike of pain making your cunt tighten even more around his cock while he pounded into you relentlessly. “ya ain’t goin’ anywhere, _birdie_...”

Again and again, he slammed into you, turning you into a sobbing and panting mess, but damn was it the best fuck you’ve ever had. It was incredible how he managed to completely force your mind to go blank and your senses to focus on this single experience. “S-Sans... _ah_...no...no more...fuck...I can’t...anymore... _hnnn_ …” the more you pleaded, the harder it got, until his thrusts became erratic and his grunts turned into groaning, heavy exhales. He shoved your face back into the mattress, hand tighter around your neck just as your third orgasm faintly burned through you. That’s when he finally came and rode his orgasm with sharp and short bucks of his hips, some kind of hot substance surging inside your pussy. “fuckin’ stars...sweetheart...da’s it...take it all, lemme fill ya up nice an’ good…” but you weren’t paying attention to his ramblings, your heart was beating too loud into your ears and your body trembled slightly, until he stopped completely and pulled out. As soon as he did that, your lower body fell on to one side and you turned on your back weakly, chest heaving and feeling his cum on your inner thighs from having gushed out a little with the sudden movement.

The skeleton did the same a second later, not even caring about the mess he made as he laid on his back, panting and staring up at the ceiling and basking into the aftermath. Silence fell over the both of you, unsure of what to say or do next, conflicted, vulnerable mostly. The euphoria started fading, the afterglow never came, but your conscience started rearing its ugly head back in, hot shame flushing your body at the realization of what just went down.

_You just fucked a monster._

That, you can’t just make up, for sure. At least you would die satisfied? You would burn in hell, surely, but at least it was a good experience? You shamefully enjoyed it, that much you knew and couldn’t deny. “stop fuckin’ overanalyzin’ everythin’!”

“How do you even--”

“cause ya have the constipated look on your face --” “Hold on there, I do not look constipated, thank you very much,” you turned on your side to glare at him, even if it had no effect by how his gaze turned to you in an irritated manner. His eyes were back to normal, bright red pin pricks.

“da’s how my cat looks like when it gotta go out to do its business.”

“You have a cat?”

“yeh...doomfanger, Paps gave it the name.”

You stared at him for a few seconds before you burst into uncontrollable laughter. “What? You named a cat Doomfanger?”

“t’wasn’ me! are ya deaf?”

You buried your face into his shoulder and continued laughing at the ridiculous name. To think that this felt so incredibly human, it was crazy just how much they resembled one, owning a pet, giving it a weird name, getting defensive about it. He turned on his side too, propping his head up on his hand and elbow. “ya havin’ a good time there?”

Cackling still, you looked up at him, a smile stretched over your lips and eyes bright with amusement. “Doomfanger...what even, Sans?” you managed to ask through snickers. He remained quiet for a bit, only watching you, moment which had you go still and your laughter to die in your throat. “What?”

Suddenly, he leaned down and bumped his teeth to your lips in a wannabe peck. “nothin’, sweetheart.”

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

It was incredible how after what you did, this still managed to make you blush. Swallowing your pride and prejudices for now, you boldly sat up and crawled over him, straddling his hips as you settled on top of his groin, hands on his sternum. “Wanna go again?”

He leaned his head back into the mattress and gave you a lazy grin. “what do a penis an’ a rubik’s cube hav’in common?”

“Really?”

“the more ya play withit, the harder it gets,”

“That a suggestion?” you quirked a brow, pressing down on his crotch with a lewd smirk.

“take it whichever way ya like, doll.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

 .. S ..

 

Morning found you sitting down at the vanity, dressed in the hunter suit and making quick work of your raven locks into a ponytail. All knives were secured on your harness, clipped into place and all plates had been attached, the bag was filled and you were ready to get moving, boots laced tight.

You took a long ass shower as soon as you woke up, before nudging the sleeping skeleton awake as well. He promptly left to wake up the kids and teleport them onto the surface, inside the bus, as you had instructed. Considering he couldn’t take them all, he had to poof out with five at a time and that took a while because he had to recollect himself in order to attempt it again two more times. Toriel was staying.

The reflection in the mirror looked tired, eyes exhausted and mouth in a firm line. The atmosphere was somber, at least on your side, because you knew that this was going to be the finish line. This could fix everything or break everything. Unrelenting pressure made your shoulders sag and posture falter slightly.

On the vanity was a paper, written in pretty curled letters --your handwriting. These were the instructions that you would hand over to Sans, the passcode, the order, your name. The hand holding the pen paused when that particular line came up, mainly because nobody had any need for it and rarely anyone used it anymore.

It was tempting to just sign as Two, instead of the real name.

But.

You scribbled it down and placed the pen aside, folding the paper neatly. He would have to open it up at the checkpoint, no sooner. Phalanges brushed over your shoulders and then a pseudo-kiss landed on the side of your head in the form of a bump. Speak of the devil.

“ya ready? i’m gonna head up in a bit,”

You craned your neck to look up at Sans, straining to give him a reassuring smile. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

“need help with tori?” he genuinely looked stressed, if the sweating was any indication. His hands grasped your shoulders a bit tighter as his red eyelights searched your cold blue irises. “No, I’m good here. You go to the kids, drive to the barrier. Do you have the walkie?”

“yeh, s’in my pocket,”

The air was heavy as you looked at each other, so many things unsaid and unknown, yet you broke it, offering the item you wrote on “Here’s the note, open it when you get there. Go,”

He hesitated, lingering there a bit longer before he nodded, took the folded paper and backed away just as you stood up and squared your shoulders. “if ya need --”

“I’m going to be alright, Sans,” you interrupted him with a forced smile, crossing your arms over your chest. It was more so he didn’t see how badly your hands were trembling. He gazed away and nodded absentmindedly, stuffing the hand with the note into his jacket’s pocket. “a’ight, a’ight...jus’...if ya --”

“I know.”

“yeh...good...gonna go…”

“I’ll see you soon.”

“heh...a’ight..”

You strode up to him and cupped his skull between your hands, staring him dead in the eyes. “I’ll be alright, trust me, yeah?” you didn’t give him reason to doubt this, but you could feel how jittery and nervous he was. Even his eyelights were dimmer than usual, as if he knew something wasn’t quite right. Guiltily, you smiled and leaned in, planting a simple peck of a kiss on his teeth.

“Now go,” you spoke confidently after you pulled away and let go. His pin pricks turned into small hearts as he stared at you in a daze, but he nodded regardless and awkwardly fumbled with his jacket before he vanished into thin air.

Certain that he wasn’t going to back out of the plan now, you took a deep breath and went to grab the bag off the bed, shouldering it with ease and then marched out the door towards Toriel’s room.

_Time to put your game face on._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos, bookmark and more importantly, comment if you liked it!  
> ya'll know i love the feedback!


	24. get in love and i'll get you loose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! It’s me with an update again  
> i hope you all are enjoying this journey, it will soon come to an end.  
> probably two-three more chapters plus an epilogue, i’d say  
> so comment, kudos, bookmark please!
> 
> songs to go with this : Nothing But Thieves - Hanging ; Bishop Briggs - The Way I Do

“You are making a mistake, child,”

For the tenth time during your walk from Snowdin to Waterfall, you had to hear the same damn thing from the goat monster trying to talk you out of this suicide mission. Of course she didn’t know the extent of it, but she was smart enough to put some pieces together and draw her own conclusions. You chose to ignore it this time again, preferring to simply take in the beauty that Waterfall was. It had a calm atmosphere to it, serene and yet cold, distant. The blue glow from the mesmerizing waterfalls and rivulets, along with the echo flowers gave it an eerie appearance.

The grass under your feet crunched delightfully when you stepped over it and the inviting darkness of the place made you relax and soothed your mind, however, the grip on Toriel’s rope never loosened, it remained firm and unwavering.

“And what _mistake_ would that be?” you finally decided to entertain the queen, for your own sadistic amusement, an echo flower repeating your words as you two passed it by.

“Trusting Sans, believing Asgore will bend to your whims. He let me go without second thought, do you believe he will ever listen to a human? Humans killed our son, his son --”

“I know the story.” You had to interrupt her, because you knew exactly what she was talking about. It happened right here, in Ebott City or what is now Ebott City, a very very long time ago, after the monsters were trapped underneath the mountain. The people in the village at that time had made it into a legend, how the goat monster walking on two feet killed a human child, stole its SOUL, ate their heart and went to kill the humans there. It was an isolated incident, detailed in one of the chronicles belonging to one of the original mages’ grandson, the one who bothered to go there and check the validity of the story. He wouldn’t have written it down if it weren’t real, that much you knew. Then came the falling of the barrier, the missing children, all spread throughout the years --the first monster you and One had captured, he was the one that put the puzzle pieces together, told you about how the humans are responsible for the fate that will befall them, because they killed the monster king’s son. Turns out that son was the same monster goat from the archived chronicles of past hunters.

And the son didn’t steal any SOUL, didn’t eat any hearts and didn’t attack any villagers. It was a matter of wrong time and wrong place, coupled with the fear from humans and the dead body of a child. A misunderstanding that turned into _this_.

Clearly, Asgore’s grief was so great that time itself could not heal his wounds. As you knew already, he was a ruler ruled by vengeance and a man that lost everything was a man that was dangerous and unpredictable. Perhaps he didn’t lose everything, though --at that, you glanced back at Toriel, hoping that she was worth it in his eyes. He still loved her, didn’t he? Why else would he let her go and let her have the human children stay with her? Sans did mention that he killed their own kind without batting an eyelash, so that had to mean something if Toriel was allowed to live despite her opposition to his tyrannical ways.

“Then, surely, you know he will not be merciful with you if you will continue on this path, lost one,”

You paused and looked above, the ceiling made of rock and what appeared to be gems having grown into the walls, glowing like the stars on the sky, of not more beautiful. The sound of the waterfalls around the area was like a gentle caress, almost languid. There were glyphs scribbled into the stone surfaces, but you didn’t bother to linger and read them, not to add the fact that moss and humidity kind of ruined the panels with the writing. Given that there was nobody to look after the Underground locations since the place was pretty much abandoned. So far you hadn’t bumped into any monster, other than the ones in the Ruins, where it made sense. “His mercy is my last concern right now,” you answered after the long pause, resuming your march over one of the wooden bridges.

“Child, you should at least be concerned with Sans’ loyalty then…” should you let it slip that you literally fucked him into being loyal, to your mission at least? Yes, you had conflicting feelings concerning him, but you would be damned before you let those get in the way of your task. It was a good time, it was a nice experience, one that you would die before sharing it with anyone or letting it be known, because it wasn’t...your shiniest moment and maybe the isolation and desperation played a role in how you ended up trying all those freaky positions all night long --and _oh boy_ , when he did that thing with his tongue. Shit, yeah, you were positively hooked on the experience but that was all it was, an experience. Just like girls sometimes kiss other girls to experiment.

Hopefully he harbored stronger emotions regarding your randez-vous than what you did, something that would ensure his involvement. It wasn’t as if a relationship with him was achievable anyway, as if you would even pursue something crazy like that. Your own father would put a bullet between your eyes if he knew. Why were you even thinking of the word relationship? That skeleton was everything you didn’t like, wanted or needed.

But you didn’t let that stop you from riding him like a cowboy on an angry bull at a rodeo.

“Not really worried about that,” you retorted as you stepped off the bridge and through some tall grass, yanking the rope to make Toriel walk faster and use her muzzle less.

“You should...there is much you do not know about him…”

Right. Sure. Whatever.

 

* * *

 

This was fine.

Everything was going to be just fine. Sans was currently re-wiring the bus, while the kids were chit-chatting and being loud in the back, a sudden shriek making him bump his head under the steering wheel.

Cussing, he rubbed his skull and stood up, glaring at the commotion. In an instant, sharp red tinted bones floated up between two of the boys bickering and at the neck of the screeching kid in the back.

“why don’tcha shut the fuck up, huh? howzaboutit?”

“It’s n-not nice to s-swear…”

Sans sneered at the pig-tailed girl that Two was so fond of, Ally, if he remembered correctly, tsk-ing at his choice of words. “ain’t nice to scream while i’m tryina’ work either,” he retorted as he turned back to what he was doing.

“so keep ya mouth shut an’ we’ll sing kumbaya as soon as we’re outta here.”

Some more tinkering and the engine came to life. He coupled the wires together and used some tape to wrap around it so it stayed like that, before he started the heat. It was cold, not only because it was morning, but because the seasons were changing.

That, and Two told him to. Just because he couldn’t feel the chill in the air didn’t mean they didn’t. Being reminded of the sassy little huntress made him grin goofily to himself. Stars, he couldn’t believe what happened last night, it still felt surreal. How her body undulated, how she whined and how he fucked his name right out of her, it made his SOUL sing.

_heh._

He really needed to get a grip. Now was not the time to gush over his --what were they? Lovers? Significant others? Or what humans called girlfriend and boyfriend? What monsters called soulmates? He wasn’t sure, but he relished in the feeling. Her SOUL was blazing brilliantly during the whole ordeal, she was so raw against him, so exposed, he could feel everything and more.

His grin hitched higher.

“get buckled ya brats!” his tone was significantly lighter as he arranged the rearview mirror and settled in the driver’s seat. The map he had brought Two was stuck to the wheel, specifically the parts she drew on and highlighted, the route he was supposed to take.

Tires screeched and the bus was on the move.

She told him between open mouthed kisses and half-lidded eyes full of lust to open her note when the barrier was down and when he was en route to the checkpoint. He agreed, but after she gave it to him, he couldn’t help but be curious as to what was so important on it.

 _Her name_. Their passcode. Her order.

That was clear. After this was over with, no doubt, a full-on coup d’etat, how were things going to be like for his kind? Would they be imprisoned? _Killed?_ The uncertainty dimmed his eye lights. He had to believe that Two would do everything in her power to ensure the safety of his kind, that’s what she had in mind, right? The ambassadors for the humans and those of the monsters finally sitting down and discussing the terms for a pact, a treaty. That’s usually how it went after a war was won.

A negotiation for the good of both sides.

Help them integrate into their society perhaps? He wanted that, so he could be free, so he could be safe, so he could be with her. Granted, he wasn’t stupid, he knew this would take time, the transitions, the bureaucracy, the politics, the novelty, an undetermined amount of times.

But Sans was patient, he was willing to wait.

_Anything for his sweetheart._

To get there, they needed to get through this first, however, and that alone made him even more determined to see it through. His foot pressed the acceleration and he shifted the gear lever.

Now his next worry was Toriel. While she had been stranded in that room by his magic, she had spewed some things he wasn’t comfortable with. Specifically, hinting at what he did to some of the kids -- _especially Frisk_ , the last fallen human. It made him nervous and the old hag knew this, so he was left to wonder if she would decide to open her maw when alone with Two. The last thing he wanted was for her to despise him for a time long ago, when he was ruled by hatred and anger --pressed to do things he didn’t want to do.

Considering how empathetic she was to humankind and how devoted she was to saving that child, Ally, he didn’t want to imagine how she would react if she knew what he did.

Sure, she probably already knew that he did some fucked up shit, but the extent of it, she wasn’t aware of, possibly...hopefully. This thought alone made his magic buzz wildly around his person, making an uncomfortable static noise. He did it for Papyrus, he did it for monsterkind because at that point in time it seemed like it was his only choice.

No matter how much he twisted and turned over Frisk dying at his hand.

No matter how their last words haunted him at night, or how their eyes still showed up in his nightmares. They stopped happening since he met Two, her SOUL soothing his, her proximity giving him the peace he needed. To think he was hellbent on bringing her to Asgore, entertaining the thought of her skull on his bedroom wall, of ripping apart her SOUL.

Sans shook his head, his face scrunching up.

He had to have faith for once.

The bus made a sudden turn, prompting the kids to screech at the same time. He just avoided colliding with a damaged car in the middle of the street. The sights looked...well, post-apocalyptic at best.

Rosebud. This was the right street.

He had wasted more time than necessary on checking the bus once again and then re-wiring it so it could be driven. By now, Two was probably in Waterfall somewhere, he had told her what routes to take and what stops to make just in case. Asgore was probably on his way, very close, to the other Underground hole, the cave they all came out of and saw their first sunset together.

His SOUL tightened anxiously.

Everything was going to be alright. _She said so_. The walkie attached to his jacket’s pocket was silent. _She wouldn't abandon him_.

 

* * *

 

You sipped from the water bottle slowly, eyes giving the goat monster a sideway glance. When you finished, you wiped your mouth with the back of your hand and hung your head, elbows on your knees. The dump, as Sans articulately referred to it, was just that, a dump. Water swirled between your boots, up to your calves. There was a waterfall nearby and there was also junk and garbage accumulated from both the surface and the underground, in piles, stacked in corners and so on. You were sitting down on a broken down TV carcass, Toriel was a foot away, looking over the filth forlornly.

The way down had been a feat in itself. You never had to go down rocky walls before, but luckily the knives helped your descent --on a patch of golden flowers nonetheless. That was the most peculiar thing, how did a bed of buttercups grow up there? The image of the brown haired kid with the flower crown inundated your mind.

“You really have set your mind to this, have you not?”

Perking up, your head turned to look at the queen, lips pulled into a line, unsure if you should actually rise to the challenge of starting a conversation with her. What was there to lose? Sighing, you moved your gaze over the junk that had gathered around the place. “Yes. I was often told I’m stupidly determined to see things through,”

She chuckled at that. “I see…” “--That’s why I’m an efficient hunter. I don’t like to brag, but I didn’t get to be the second best out of the one thousand others just because I look good, batting my eyelashes could get me so far,”

“Sans, you must beware of Sans, lost one.” she suddenly blurted that out. Not again with this. Yeah, he might have done some shitty stuff, but you weren’t about to start judging him for having to beat up a human or eating a SOUL.

“Look, I know he must have done some shady stuff. To be honest, I don’t really care right now. I have a specific task, a mission to see through and I really want this to be over with,” you spoke up before she could continue, making your position in regards to this as clear as you were able.

“Do you hold any strong feelings for him, child?”

You bristled at her question. Did you? No, not really. He did make your heart race and skip a beat. His voice made your stomach tingle and his touch did weaken your knees, but he wasn’t something you couldn’t get over. Crushes were crushes, you were also pretty adamant in believing that he was a fling, born from the feeling of isolation and desperation, the will to feel something other than anxiety and the absolute fear of dying. Like doing something crazy before you die, sort of thing. Curiosity might have also played a part in it and your need for him to do as you wanted him to do. It was nice, it was...well, the best lay you’ve had so far, a successful experiment.

“No...I don’t,” at least, you thought so. Honestly, you were never on good terms with your emotional side and how could you even know if it was more or not? It’s not like you ever experienced love to know what to look forward to. Empathy towards others, that you had, but empathy, being in synch with how you were feeling, that was never something.

You could only categorize this into the ‘idk’ file of your mind and tuck it away. When the future was so uncertain, could you really spend time mulling over such unimportant facts?

“Good,” came the goat monster’s reply, a nod to herself following suit.

Welp. Glad you could clear that up. As if on cue, whirring and metal scraping against metal resounded from above, accompanied by several thumps.

Human Blasters.

Your eyes widened and you shot up, yanking Toriel with you as you splattered through the water, heart beating faster. “I think they sent the Human Blasters ahead. It makes sense, they can climb easier with all those feet and they are damn good at finding humans, of course,” you rambled to yourself, paranoia spiking up “Sent as scouts to find me, make their job easier, maybe even rough me up a bit, ripe for the taking...that fucking piece of shit with horns,” you added, kicking aside a rusted bike.

Sans told you there were two more in the making, so this was probably just one of the, the other, where was it then? Hotland? The core? The castle?

What the blasters couldn’t do, however, was hear. They could only see. Making noise didn’t get them on your tail and the skeleton instructed you on how to dodge them. Go behind Toriel, it couldn’t see monsters, just humans, that or go into their blind spot, under the belly, quite literally. Other specifics were lost on you, between the sheets.

In case that didn’t work, you could always just do what you did with your first Human Blaster.

Regardless, you were appreciative of Toriel not starting to scream and struggle. Perhaps she didn’t want to see the king either, not that you could blame her. He drove her insane. Her cooperation at this point was welcomed, which you awarded with another urgent yank and a worried glance behind you.

She still looked crazy, like she was missing a few chords, but at least she was trying to be civil here and stayed quiet.

Maybe you could find something to tinker with. Did they build bombs in the underground? What were the chances of finding some TNT in here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don’t forget to comment, kudos and bookmark if you liked it!  
> ya’ll know i love your feedback~


	25. so i bloody the rain on your pity parade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey peeps! another update! as you can probably see, the chapters are counted now  
> that’s because they are planned out now, i even wrote the ending  
> that was an...experience... anyway! 4 more chapters including the epilogue!   
> i’m excited, are you excited? lemme know in the comments when you give me feedback, yeah? 
> 
> songs to go with this : SonReal - Can I Get A Witness ; MISSIO - Bottom Of The Deep Blue Sea

A string of smoke curled upwards, then faded, the source of it tangled between two phalanges. Eye sockets watched blankly as the transition happened, from visible to invisible, the smell permeating the air stubbornly and clinging around him like a comforting embrace.

The piece of paper crinkled uncomfortably in the hand stuffed inside his jacket’s pocket. Temptation to look inside was growing by the second, the only thing stopping him from blatantly doing it being the fact that he had whispered his promise to her in the throes of lust. He couldn’t help but wonder if that was intentional on her part, taking advantage of him while he was vulnerable and malleable.

No, _his sweetheart wouldn’t do that._

He flicked some ash on the ground and took a long drag from the cigarette, his back leaning on the side of the bus. A house cut clean in two laid a klik away from where they stopped, sign that the barrier sliced it when it was erected. The wall he had parked near shimmered in the sun, giving the monsters’ creation an eerie glow if you looked from this angle.

What laid out there for them? Clearly, there was a barrage, some sort of fence raised by the hunters surely, which probably surrounded the whole barrier. Not that it would pose as an obstacle, he could easily speed through it with the bus, but the knowledge that hunters did this, sent a shiver down his spine.

Soon he would be confronting some of those white-faces.

Ally climbed off the bus just as he exhaled a cloud of smoke, both from his nasal cavity and the sides of his mouth. He glanced at the brown haired kid with an unimpressed look on his face. She confidently walked up to him and mimicked his position, leaning her small back on the side of the bus in a cool fashion.

For emphasis, she crossed her thin arms over her chest and stared forward at the house he had been eyeing not long before.

“S-Sans?”

“yea?” another puff of smoke raised in the air. “Do you think that Two’s f-friends are just as n-nice as she is? A-And strong?”

He snorted. “sure hope so, otherwise we’re fucked,” he flicked the cigarette and more ash fell on the dirty road. The girl sighed dramatically and scoffed.

That earned her a glance from him. “fine, ya brats are gonna be peachy, _i’ll_ be fucked. that better?”

Ally puffed her cheeks and frowned up at him. “N-no!”

“an’ why not?” her reaction took him by surprise, especially how annoyed her shout sounded. “B-because I don’t want you t-to be in t-trouble!” her stutter was getting worse the more she got worked up. He had to stop himself from gawking at the small human, choosing to turn his eyes elsewhere, anywhere. Her SOUL was bright and sincere, pure.

“heh...thanks, ya brat. ‘ppreciate that.”

Before he could bring the cigarette butt back to his mouth, the kid hugged his leg spontaneously, causing him to drop it. She then let go just as fast and ran back inside the bus, leaving behind a completely befuddled skeleton.

 _“Sans, do you copy?”_ the static buzz from the walkie-talkie snapped him out of his confused daze, the familiar voice of his sweetheart gripping his SOUL tightly. He fumbled like an idiot with the device, almost dropping it, until he managed to hold it with steady hands and reply.

“yea? what’sup doll?” he was really thankful that she couldn’t see his embarrassed face right now. _“Ran into some trouble--”_ oh shit, his SOUL thrummed with anxiety, scenarios already playing in his mind’s eye _“--some Human Blaster is patrolling Waterfall. If I had to guess, the other is in Hotland. Are you certain that their blind spot is under their belly?”_

huh. “yea...i made the blueprints. s’the only place they don’t cover --wait, why are ya --” _“Alright. You might have to wait for longer than I thought in the bus, maybe 24 hours or so, keep your eyes on the kids. Please.”_ she pressed harder on her plea, making him click his tongue in annoyance.

“ya know i could jus’ --”

 _“No, Sans. I got this. Just keep the kids safe, okay?”_ He sighed in exasperation at that, tapping the side button “yea...fine...whateva’,” to agree rather begrudgingly.

_“Thanks, I’ll update you on what’s happening, Two over.”_

Fucking stars, he could do more than just stay here with a bunch of brats. He had magic, she didn’t, she was vulnerable down there, these kids weren’t going anywhere. He stomped on the cigarette with a sneer. “fuckin’ awesome.”

 

* * *

 

As soon as you finished the chit chat with Sans, you ducked behind the pile of garbage again, having been on the lookout just in case the mechanical mammoth decided to jump down and take a look over here as well. Quietly, you rummaged through the bag you had with you, finding one more smoke bomb, the monster candy and the rest of your gear. You picked up the glasses you had on back in the Ruins and placed them back over your eyes.

“Shit…” you cussed sharply, shoving through the contents again. Finding what you were looking for, you pulled it out with a smirk. The nail gun. Toriel was not far from you, sitting on a cooler and watching you with an empty gaze. Her red pupils then fixed on your face while you checked the number of nails you still had in.

“Can you really guide those children to safety?” her sudden question made you look up to her, the waterfall sound making the pause and the awkward stare-off less uncomfortable. Wasn’t it obvious? “Away from Asgore? Away from…” she looked around, eyes narrowed “... _this?_ ”

“Yeah, that’s the plan. I’m fairly confident he will do as I say...even if it’s for a short while, it’s enough to get the kids out of this place, away from monsters and to safety. Now...the human slaves and servants cooped up in here? Those are another story…” you muttered dispassionately, returning to tinkering with the gun.

“If that is so...I wish to help,”

You stopped completely, eyes snapping up to her in bewilderment. “I do know...that I have lost sight of myself, that all the centuries trapped underneath the mountain, alone...it affected me and I let it. No matter how hard I tried to save those poor children--” her brows furrowed and she bowed her head, eyes closing tightly “--I couldn’t, _not one_. I decided I would offer them a better end if they chose to leave...anything is better than Asgore’s ire. My grief, my loss...I realize now, I let it take over me,” she continued to explain, her paws trembling slightly in her lap.

Honestly, you were speechless. She did seem...better, in a way that made you weary. “Seeing you with them, seeing how they looked up to you, how they followed you...hearing them laugh through the inn’s hallways, it reminded me of my children. Asriel, he would not have wanted this, he would have been disgusted by what I became, his own mother, taking lives…” her voice cracked and she finally looked at you, tears brimming in her eyes.

Sans’ words echoed through your mind. Did you _really_ believe that even the worst person could change if they just tried? You said yes then. They weren’t bad from the start, nobody was inherently bad, you had to remind yourself. Once, long ago, before this tragedy happened, they were probably...normal, or at least, that’s how Toriel made it sound. She was a mother, she had children...hell, she adopted a human child, the first one that fell.

If she found it in her heart to treat someone that wasn’t her kind like they were her child, then... _then_ yes, she was good once, compassionate even. Loving? Through the snow, while you herded the kids, you did see concern in her eyes. If you weighed your options, you were pretty sure you weren’t losing much, it wasn’t as if she could use her magic. How far could she go? Not far enough for you to not be able to find her.

“So you want to cooperate. Make up for the shit you did,” you were less than nice about it when you put her intention into words, she did do some fucked up things. She flinched at your choice of voicing her earnest decision, but nodded nonetheless. You weren't about to make it easier for her either, so she'd have to suck it up and take it as you put it.

Disregarding this, you needed to think of something. Risking your ass with those things out there wasn’t an option. “Let’s move,” was your only response to that as you stood and marched towards a ramp leading to the potential exit from the garbage dump. For good measure, you yanked the rope, but Toriel was already following your steps diligently.

 _Welp._ You weren’t one to believe in changes of heart, but it happened with Sans --granted, he was also infatuated with you for some reason. Could it be that easy with the queen?

You had to keep in mind that she was your leverage.

Lose the leverage and what chance did you have?

....

The cave was something out of a fantasy novel. Gems littered the rocky walls and made the whole thing glow magically, as if it was part of a vividly written fairytale or a movie with really good special effects. Then there was the emblem of the monsters, the delta rune, symbol which corroded with time, but still held a heavy reminder of what used to live down here.

Your eyes scanned the place in awe.

There were some houses back where you emerged from the dump, but the doors were locked and you weren’t about to waste time picking locks or breaking down doors. Besides, they didn’t look sturdy enough to hold back a Human Blaster if it came down to that.

However, this cave, it could. The entrance was not big enough to fit one and it couldn’t crush its way through either. Toriel gazed upon the symbol and brushed a paw over it, bowing her head afterwards as a sign of respect --you didn’t know for sure, but it looked that way.

“Alright,” you cleared your throat, pulling her attention towards you again “If you want to help, you should stay here. I can operate easier if I’m alone and I really need to go out there and figure out what to do about those things. It’s gonna be easier to sneak around if I know their patterns and paths, find some routes that are safe,” as you explained this to her, your hands made quick work of the objects from the bag. You strapped the nail gun on your harness at your back, placed the gas mask over your mouth and shoved the smoke bombs into some empty holsters at your waist.

“I understand, child,” she responded with reluctance “Are you certain you do not --” “Look, you don’t seem like the kinda girl that will get down and dirty, run fast or climb rocks easily, no offence. It would only slow me down, having to look after someone else.”

“Besides, you’re my leverage, if I lose you, then I lose the children and this whole shit was for nothing.” you added, looking at her pointedly as you checked the knives on your body and pocketed the lighter from Sans.

Her red irises lowered over to your attire and stopped over the ripped lion head on your shoulder, the logo of your organization. Funny how the yellow of her sclera brought out the crazy in her eyes --on that note, you were pretty sure you didn’t want to trust her, no matter how hard the things she said managed to caress your compassionate side.

Fortunately, these sentiments didn’t corrupt your judgement.

“Very well, that is logical I suppose…”

Giving one curt nod, you began to walk out of the cave “Child?” --instinctively, you turn your head to glance at her “Good luck?”

Well, this wasn’t awkward at all. You almost cringed. “Yeah, thanks. Oh, and --” you craned your neck and gave her a smile “--if you decide to try anything funny, _I’ll hunt you down_ and torture you until you are an _inch away from death_. Capisce?”

Her eyes widened. Good.

And finally, you leave, mind set on more important matters and half-assured that she won’t just run off. In which case, you would have to chase her down. The only way she could go, however, is backwards, because you’re already going onwards, problem that can be solved easily in that regard.

“Time to hunt some human blasters.”

And that doesn’t sound like a good time at all.

...

  
The pitch black was not something you expected, but when you accidentally slapped a mushroom that you nudged with your elbow--believing that it was some monster still living around the area --and said mushroom lit up, you discovered that the waterfall had much more to look forward to than what you believed.

Not only that, but the mushrooms made paths visible.

Why was everything about this place so Wonderland-like? The deeper you went, glowing blue trees started to appear in your view as well, illuminating the mushrooms. Gingerly you touched the next one and smiled widely when it brightened a path for you. “This is _so_ cool,” you mused to yourself as you continued on, boots crunching grass under the soles.

There was a panel where the mushrooms stopped growing and old dusty lanterns sat on the ground, spider webs spreading from them to the wall they were leaned against. There were also large crystals spreading a pink hue in and out, like some kind of beacons. More out of curiosity than anything else, you approached the panel and used your hand to brush away some of the moss and dirt that accumulated over time.

“ _Without candles or magic to guide them Home, the monsters used crystals to navigate_...oh...that makes sense…” you commented after reading the words through narrowed eyes.

Were those panels telling the story of their imprisonment?

Looking back from where you came, there was an inch of regret at not having read them. No hunters managed to get in this place, at least, from what you knew. It was information that you couldn’t come across easily, no matter how many chronicles and journals from past hunters you read, not even the old tomes belonging to the arcane masters that trapped them here.

There was always a second side to everything, a different story. A different side of the coin. You were taught to take everything with a grain of salt, after all. Oh man, how a phone with a camera could come in handy during times like these --humans in Ebott under the rule of monsters weren’t allowed devices of any kind, so phones were a no go on this mission from the start.

Grunting in defeat, you decided there was no other option but to push forward at this point.

Suddenly, a mechanical chirp echoed through the pitch black halls. Four red dots shone in the darkness and mechanical whirring followed suit, accompanied by the dull, heavy sound of metal legs.

_Shit._

It charged like a bull, prompting you to turn on your heel and sprint blindly through the darkness, illuminated here and there by the flashing crystals. Heart racing and muscles tense, you forced your body to comply with this sudden chase.

The activation of lasers behind you and the buzzing made your heart jump in your chest.

It was gaining on you! It was gonna try and fucking shoot you--

You plummeted through water abruptly and with a shriek, not having expected the change in terrain. The natural glow of the area was see-through again and you took advantage of that to quickly take in your surroundings as you scrambled back to your feet, almost slipping once or twice. The glasses were a lost cause. You weren't about to backtrack and find them either.

 _Fucking shit_ , you were wet all over now! The monstrosity didn’t stop for one second, it plunged through the water as if it didn’t even exist, giving you chase. How the hell were you going to get rid of it now? It found you so easily too. Was it sending feed back to the source? Could they see your struggles through the visors of that thing?

Gulping down air, you stumbled to a stop, where the road forked, one going forward and one to your left. Oh shit, no time to waste. You picked left, the glow slowly disappearing and getting replaced by echo flowers, so many of them and shimmering little specks floating in the humid air all around. Unfortunately, you had no time to admire, you took a sudden turn and continued your run, the beast gaining on you too fast for your liking.

A thundering crash made you glance back, seeing the metal behemoth having ran into the wall, unable to make the turn as swift and easy as you did. It gave you a sense of satisfaction and you pushed your calves harder, more determined than ever to put an end to all this crap you had to endure.

Through water or solid ground, you couldn’t even tell the difference anymore, there were splashes and your whole body was damp. Luckily, you left the walkie back in the cave and safe within the bag, because now it would have been a fucked up situation if it got wet.

Why were you even thinking of such trivial things right now? Cussing under your breath, you realized there were whispers all around you, from the blue tall flowers, whispers that you couldn’t even make out. A sharp exhale left your mouth when you came upon the wooden bridge, crossing over a pitch black abyss. Swallowing thickly, you started a light jog over it, careful and paying attention to the wooden boards underneath your feet.

Would it be able to hold that beast? The bridge groaned and shook -- _well_ , that definitely answered your question. Cold panic made your hands clammy as you forced yourself onwards, trying to not look elsewhere except your feet and up at the end of the passage.

Jesus almighty, you couldn’t even use your nail gun, it was too dark and you wouldn’t be able to get a good aim; and wasting nails while there was another human blaster out there was definitely not an option you were willing to consider.

Should’ve asked Sans to get you stuff so you could make some real molotov cocktails.

Finally, you got to the other side, whipping around to keep an eye on the beast as it struggled through, red gleaming dots desultorily trying to find you and lock onto your position so it could shoot its cannons. Which is why you couldn’t stay put or you'd be a sitting duck.

You turned around and continued to -- _why was there a cave inside a cave_? Faster than you anticipated, you came upon another area enveloped in darkness, the gaping mouth of the cavern welcoming you eerily. Why were there peaks inside the mountain -- _fuck it_ , you would need to stop questioning and start running.

A powerful blast like that of a grenade had you hurling forward, forcing you through the passage literally, before you could make your own steps. You tumbled over your head and landed on your stomach painfully. The tell-tale thumps of metal legs transferring through the ground as vibrations had you on your hands and knees faster than it could lock onto you again, scampering up as you heaved.

Your ears were ringing and not being able to hear made you increasingly more frustrated with this situation. You even had a plan in case you saw a human blaster, you wanted to try and be sneaky, get under its belly, use it as a free ride through the place. This completely screwed up with everything.

How fucking ironic. You wanted to avoid getting roughed up, keep yourself fresh for Asgore. _That went well._

The wall on your left suddenly lit up, causing you to yelp like a little girl and almost lose your footing. Moving over the embarrassing moment, you focused on the sliding writing that spelled ‘ _welcome to hot--_ ’

_Hot what?_

Was it Hotland? Brows raising, you pushed your body harder, muscles aching already and lungs burning as you sped up.

The darkness literally dissipated and you were hit with a wave of burning warm air and light as if you dove straight into a bathtub full of hot water. The complete opposite climate change didn’t stop you however, but it did slow you down just a bit, because the air was insufferable to breathe in after being chased through half the Waterfall.

And when you thought things couldn’t get worse, there was a sea of lava underneath another long ass bridge. Gasping as you looked down, your mind started calculating your chances against the metal beast just entering into Hotland as well, on your footsteps.

“Shit!” you started to jog over the bridge, wood creaking under your boots.

The shiny piece of shit was on your tail and you glanced back, racking your brain for any solution to these crazy stupid circumstances, when your boot suddenly went through a piece of wooden board and you toppled forward with a cry. Grunting, you yanked your limb out and turned on your back, the human blaster a foot away from you. Breathing fast, you tried to crawl backwards on your hands, scuttling away with eyes widened as it lowered over you in a second, spider-like feet precise in how it stepped over the narrow bridge.

It’s lasers powered up and got into position.

This was it.

And you didn’t even _get_ to Asgore.

You closed your eyes tight, hand on your nail gun, knowing it was too late.

Several thing happened all at once. The mammoth above you was blasted, which immediately destroyed it and blew its top part with the visors and weapons to pieces, the blow deafened you to the point that you were sure your ears were bleeding and when you curled up to cover yourself, you saw the second human blaster.

It attacked the other because it couldn’t see it there, it could only see your SOUL and heat, perhaps the lava also helped with confusing it, your signature almost invisible to its vision mode. As a result, it screwed up the other one without meaning to and thinking it was you. After your mind caught up, you turned back around to look at the first blaster, unsure if it was still active or not, but when all the lights on it died and it fell over the bridge and into the lava underneath, you were pretty sure it was done for.

Panting, adrenaline making your body shake, you looked over the bridge at the drowning scrap of metal, before your eyes wildly searched for the second blaster. The heat was still probably misleading it, judging by how it moved its visors around as if trying to see you, so you took the opportunity without question, grabbed your nail gun and sat on your knees, trying to concentrate on the visors.

If it couldn’t see you, it couldn’t hurt you.

Chewing on your lip and squinting, you shot the first nail. _Missed_. Your hands were shaking, you had to calm down. Breathing in and out a few times, you tried again, placing a fist underneath the wrist of the hand holding the gun so it could be steadier.

 _Another shot._ This one went straight into a visor.

Grinning victoriously, you aimed again, getting on your feet this time and backing up as the metal beast shook its hide, rotated its head and lurched back and forth. The bridge began to shake as it stepped on it with crazy accuracy, trying to lock onto your SOUL and heat signature by switching to his good visors and rotating them.

_You got this._

Another shot into a visor. God, you were sweating so bad it wasn’t even funny. The heat and the exertion were making you feel lightheaded already. Another shot, taking out the third visor. One more.

Licking your dry lips, you closed one eye and waited patiently as the metal arachnid finally locked its last visor on you. And your finger pressed the trigger. The nail hit right through, breaking the lens and making the robotic beast jerk back and almost lose its footing. That caused it to bend forward and that was your cue. Strapping the nail gun back, your eyes focused on the spot you were aiming for and you broke into a sprint as fast as you could, before leaping.

If this is what they called a leap of fate, then it sure as hell wasn’t something you were willing to do ever again after this.

Fighting giant fucking robots wasn’t part of your job description. You landed right on its back, exactly when it was raising itself on its feet again. “Holy shit!” --and you almost slipped backwards, but managed to catch yourself by grabbing the cannons. Following the same procedure as you used on your first human blaster encounter, you slid a knife out and climbed your way on its back properly, before you started using the blade through the crevices in its hide, cutting off all the wires on its back and successfully deactivating the weapons.

Then you went for the neck. Literally. The thing was jerking and slipping over the bridge, regaining its footing ever so slightly, before rotating its head and body again and again. Holding yourself as tight as you could, you used the knife again, to stab aimlessly and haphazardly at the rubbery material, the head ceasing all movements. Your eyes then scanned the carapace until you found what you were looking for. That forsaken box that made this thing stop everything it was doing --with a glint in your pools of ice, you crawled further towards the broken visors and forced the corner of the box with your weapon. It gave in easily and you almost tore it open with how eager you were.

Well, as you stared at all the wires and tubes, you sincerely hoped you wouldn’t die electrocuted or something. “Bon appetite.”

That said, you started slashing and cutting blindly as the beast lurched, the movements growing weaker and slower. It tipped to the left and then to the right, lights starting to go out while you looked around to figure a way down.

Fuck it, you were gonna jump. Barely maintaining balance, you stood up on your feet atop the metal carapace and hopped off just as the human blaster leaned dangerously to the right and plunged into the lava.

Which you were also about to do when you did leap off and screwed the landing. Luckily, you caught yourself by grabbing the edge of some wooden boards. With the last amount of energy you had left, you hoisted yourself up and on the platform, breathing heavily and choosing to just lay there for a few moments, bask in the finality of this battle.

The things you did for the mission.

One arm over your stomach and the other laying limp by your side, you tipped your head back and closed your eyes, letting out a groan and a sigh at the same time. At least you now knew there were no more human blasters to kill you while you were trying to make your way through all this shit.

When you got home you were gonna have some well-deserved tequila shots.

 ...

On your way back to the cave where you left Toriel, knees shaking and body aching, you paused here and there, to either get some glass out of your flesh or to wash up your face and hands in the clear waters. That, or just to read some of the panels or stare in awe at the sights.

You didn’t even realize that you were bleeding or injured.

It was mostly glass from the exploded blaster and a piece of metal that managed to cut through your shoulder. Not enough to kill, but enough to leave a scar. As soon as you were back inside the cave and Toriel saw you, she stood up from her seat on the floor, approaching you with worried eyes and paws up even though they were tied. You leaned on the rocky side of the entrance and raised a hand to stop her “I’m fine...I’m fine...just...just sore…” and then you slumped to the ground, knees finally giving out.

“Child, that is not --” “I’m not a fucking child!” you snapped, clenching your fists and forcing yourself up so you could grab the bag and settle down like a normal person. From the luggage you chose to bring with, you recovered the walkie talkie and a monster candy, which you ate greedily.

It healed your injuries in a second and allowed you breathe out your relief. The last thing you wanted was to call Sans while in pain, you didn’t need him here, but with the kids.

Toriel became quiet and chose to sit back down, staring intently at her paws.

“Hey Sans, do you copy?”

_“...yea, everythin’ a’ight sweetheart?”_

“Peachy. Sorry I kinda wrecked your little blasters. You could say they had a _meltdown_ over it,” you smiled weakly, sliding back against the wall more comfortably and closing your eyes. From the other end, there was a static pause before his snort and baritone-sounding laughter took over.

_“das a good one, doll. i ain’t mad, though,”_

“That’s such a relief,” you retorted cheekily. “How are the kids?”

At that, Toriel perked up, eyes wearily on your form. _“brats...mostly, gotta give ‘em somethin’ to eat, s’already noon,”_

“Alright, I’ll leave you to it. Keep you updated. Two over.”

And you ended the transmission before he could say anything back. You didn’t need to hear anything more from him, just the fact that he was looking after those kids was enough. Sighing, you placed the walkie back inside the bag and shoved it out of the way, before you finally turned your attention to the goat monster. She didn’t run, even if she could, didn’t steal anything, didn’t even cut her own ropes.

Not that you trusted her enough to consider being on better terms with her. She did what she did and there was no excuse good enough to pardon those acts.

“I’m gonna nap, wake me up in three hours or so…” you spoke tiredly, throwing the gas mask from around your neck away. 

She nodded without even asking how she would figure out when three hours even passed. You laid the bait and now you were going to dangle it in front of her face. Fully armed, stinking of sweat, blood and smoke, you crossed your ankles after stretching your legs out and leaned your head back on the wall, remaining somewhat upright.

Rarely did you ever sleep deeply, so if she tried to choke you or steal a knife, you would feel it and act accordingly.

 _‘Let’s see how much you want to redeem yourself’_ , you mused with a lazy exhale through your nose.

When you woke up next, you were gonna eat something and be on your way. If your calculations were right and if Sans approximated correctly, Asgore and his goons were mid-way to rounding the mountain. With a bit of luck, you would get to meet him face to face outside the other entrance.

And you really hoped you were enough to stand up to him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't forget to leave me some kudos, comments and bookmark if you liked it!  
> ya'll know i love your feedback~ especially now at the end when i need the encouragement ; u; / don't hesitate!


	26. we, royalty, like to feast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello, chapter 26 here! all of it is reader's pov  
> since this was pretty lengthy and, well, i wanted to add more, but yeah orz  
> decided to cut it to just that for now! well, three more chapters now   
> and this story will be over, let me know your thoughts in the comments, i love those so much!  
> next chapter will probably be longer and packed with action, promise!
> 
> songs to go with this : Jacob Lee - Demons ; Undertale - But the Earth Refused To Die (tieff's Remix)

“So, how did you even know when three hours passed?”

Currently, you were tinkering with the elevator’s control system, holding a small flashlight between your teeth as your fingers made quick work of the little cables and interface. The lab you found in Hotland, was really a blessing, because you managed to collect some very useful stuff, including a free meal of noodles. For that, you had to power up the whole place again, having to find the generator and turn on the lights. Imagine your surprise when you figured out that this was the fabled Alphys’ previous bunker.

How you knew that? Well, from all the stickits littering the computer screen inside the room, containing her name as if to remind herself about things, then there was a pair of glasses and all the junk food. Regardless, her lair was pretty weird, what with the big ass screen smack in the middle, the escalator stairways, anime figurines and comic books. To be honest, you did not see that coming.

Toriel was nice enough to walk you through the complexity of Hotland too, so it was fairly easy to find the elevator that would get you where you wanted. Unfortunately, it wasn’t operational, so you had to backtrack, get some equipment from Alphys’ lab and hope that you were smart enough to figure it out. That alone was a hassle, considering all the jumping and leaping you had to do.

Which you were at the moment. “I counted, of course,”

You paused and looked at her quizzically, through the half-opened doors of the machine. She returned your expression as if she didn’t know what she did wrong. “Was I not supposed to? I cannot guess how much time passes, lost one,”

Groaning at her endearing nickname, you returned to work on the panel.

Good news was, she didn’t try any funny things while you napped and woke you up by calling out to you, refraining from touching, which you appreciated. The way to Hotland was nice and quiet, thanks to you, of course and all around uneventful, again, thanks to you.

This is how you liked things, easy and simple. The CORE as Toriel called, however, was far from that. Just the sight of that mammoth standing in the ocean of lava, made you shudder. To think that they created that thing...it wasn’t what you expected from a bunch of monsters with no resources. Such an incredible feat, making something out of nothing, it was impressive, if not concerning and scary.

The elevator lights turned on and you first looked up, then at the interface. Well, the cables you re-connected behind the interface must have been the problem. They looked cut, as if someone did that intentionally, a very long time ago too because it looked like an old ‘wound’, so to say.

Plucking the flashlight out from between your teeth and turning it off, you inspected your handy-work. “I believe you have succeeded…” the voice of the goat monster carried over in a little echo. Nodding as if agreeing with her, you picked up the buttons panel and settled it back into place, sloppily trying to rotate the screws so it could hold just enough. Meant that you’d have to press the buttons harder.

Not an issue if it took you where you needed.

After that was done, you started reading the buttons and trying to make sense of them. “What even do these mean?” you asked out loud. Toriel stepped inside with you and the proximity had you bristle, but you tried not to show it, merely moved an inch or two away while she looked them over as well.

“It has been a very long time. I do not remember which goes where…” she supplied, offering no help whatsoever with this issue.

Oh well. “Guess we’ll have to try all of them,” you muttered a little more than annoyed with the prospect.

And so began your journey with the elevator in Hotland.

First, there was the R2 floor. You had no idea what it stood for, neither did Toriel, so you tentatively had a look around, just to sate your curiosity. Who knew, maybe the lift didn’t get you straight to where you wanted and there was still need to walk half the way.

Of course, there was nothing there, except for some old wooden sentry station, like the one towards Snowdin. Somehow, it still had snow on the roof. You stopped questioning things like that and went back inside the elevator. Next floor was L2.

You only peeked your head out and -- _nope_ , not where you wanted to go.

“Hopefully third time is a charm.”

On L3, you got off. It looked like the end of the line, judging by the weird monster-looking, horns-donning metal structural thing where the elevator stopped. Cautiously, you stepped out first, followed closely by Toriel.

“...I thought this was supposed to take me straight to the castle?”

You hadn’t even realized you stopped holding the queen’s rope, leaving her to walk on her own. Huh, and she didn’t try to run off once. Well, you had a mean right hook, couldn’t blame her for thinking twice.

As soon as you spotted the gaps and what Toriel called deactivated puzzles, you groaned loudly. You were pretty sure the deeper you’d go, the harder it would get to the point where you’d beg for some plain ol’ walking surface.

Regardless, you marched forth and jumped accordingly, waiting on the goat every step of the way. The two of you reached a set of huge metal doors that were already slid open, behind which you came face to face with huge ass cobwebs decorating the whole area.

You shuddered. It’s not like you were scared of spiders or some shit like that. It just looked very...unsettling. Beside you, Toriel remained quiet.

With some dread in your stomach, you proceeded, flipping out a knife and making your way through. The light somewhat changed, from the red of the lava to a deep purple, until you came upon a tunnel-like entrance, completely clogged with cobwebs. A bit disgusted, you slashed through it and slipped inside, only to be met with a very dark area, like a huge hallway. Other than the passage through, there was nothing you could see --well, that and, well, cobwebs.

“Muffet…” the monster behind you commented languidly. Oh, _Muffet_ , the spider monster that used human meat for her pastries. Good to know that this was her personal work-place. Grillby and her had an arrangement. If his slaves were no good or if they died in ‘ _unknown circumstances_ ’ then she could have them and fashion them into goodies she would then sell --you knew because you had seen her come in and take two or three body bags over the time you had spent undercover.

Nevertheless, it made your skin prickle and a chill to run down your spine.

That was a monster you didn’t want to fuck with.

There was just something extremely creepy about her, except the already disturbing shit she made.

Half-way through, your feet were almost stuck to the spider webs, so you had to use the knife to cut yourself free and do the same for Toriel, who was struggling all the way. Must be shitty to have webs in your fur. Fortunately, this trip was over as soon as you got through the exit and noticed the change in scenery. Everything was back to the orange and red hue of Hotland.

There were also some old scrappy posters of a rectangular shaped robot with four arms on the ground. “ _Mettaton_...as in the news anchor for the monsters, huh?” But he looked completely different than this thing. Welp, you accidentally stepped on his -- _err_ , face. Looking up, you noticed the stairs at the end of the path, some that went down and some that went up. Naturally, you assumed that the ones leading upstairs were the ones you should take.

...

“Oh...my god.” If you thought the scenery changed when you came out of Muffet’s evil lair, well, this just took the cake. A huge ass building with the MTT initials on top. The whole atmosphere changed, the palette went from warm colors to plain dark blues and verdure.

“I almost forgot this was here...it is quite impressive, is it not, _lost one_?”

She just had to go and call you that again. Glaring up at her, mouth downturned, you decided you’d finally address this name-calling thing next time she did it.

“Yeah, very. Let’s go.”

Needless to say, the resort-like place looked abandoned. There was some kind of fountain in the middle of the place, with a statue representing the old Mettaton on top, cracked and mossy.

It was probably supposed to spit out water, but now it just looked like time damaged it.

The tiled floor held nice over the years, but the carpet was ripped and dirty, looking brown rather than what you believed was supposed to be red. In a way, it was amazing to see how the monsters lived in the Underground, what they built and how different but similar it was to the surface world.

To your left was a hall taking you to a big dining area, looking just as worn and bad, then you went to explore the right side.

“There is an elevator here as well. I believe this is it,” Toriel speaks up as you look around, trying the doors. Right, one step closer to absolute doom. Why were you stalling, though? First three doors were locked.

Mmmm. Could anyone blame you for wasting time, though?

Fourth one was locked too. Cussing under your breath, you return to where Toriel stood, in front of the elevator.

“Does it even work?”

The lights on the up and down buttons were blipping. How... _peculiar_. You pressed the down one. There was whirring and creaks, probably from not being used in a long while, but it definitely worked and opened its doors, even if very slow and not all the way. “Yeah...I’m _not_ gonna go in there…” you scrunched up your face and backed away. There had to be another -- _oh_ , there was literally a set of doors with ‘CORE’ written above them.

“Did you also happen to see _this_?”

As you asked, the goat monster walked over and looked at the doors at the very far end of the resort place. “Oh, I did not.”

“We’re going through there,” you muttered, clearly having made up your mind.

You didn’t expect there to be a large balcony, that was for sure. It reminded you of the fancy italian restaurants with how dramatic it looked and you could already see a Romeo and Juliet kissing in the light of the lamps. The wooden bridge turned into blue pipes really fast and before you knew it, the change happened again and you were walking through yet another door.

The blue walls and inscriptions upon it made you stare in fascination. Were you actually inside the CORE now? This was pretty damn awesome. You knew One would have loved to dissect all these sights and admire them closely.

“Oh, this must the the right elevator,” Toriel spoke again, with a hint of hesitance. Her red irises were set on the metallic doors. This one, just like the previous lift, seemed to be working, by the blinking light from the buttons beside it, so you pressed the down button here as well.

Mechanical whirring and buzzing started up and before you knew it, the doors opened. This looked like it was in better condition for some reason. Was this really it?

 _Uhhhh_....

“I...I need a moment…” you cleared your throat as you said that, feeling a bit nauseous all of a sudden. Stepping back and away, you closed your eyes and tried to breathe normally. What happened to your confidence? Wasn’t this what you wanted? Sans. You had to --You needed to at least hear his voice, and let him know about the progress you've made and the next step, of course.

Unstrapping the walkie from your harness, you tapped the button that would open the transmission. “Hey, Sans. Do you copy?”

“ _uh...yea...was sleepin’ --what’s goin’ on?_ ”

“I’m...I’m at the palace elevator, ready to head up now…” you trailed off, feeling heavy, as if you’d been dragging a weight with you the whole way. “ _are ya o--_ ” “ --is it night there already? Are the kids sleeping too?” you interrupted him before he could ask that dreadful question.

No, you were _not_ fine. How could you be fine? But more importantly, how _could_ you tell him you were not fine?

“ _yea...s’pretty much midnigh’ here. had fun in hotland, doll?_ ”

“Hah... _yeah_ …”

There was an awkwardly long pause. “ _listen, sweetheart, if ya --_ ” “Sans, I’m alright, I just wanted to let you know I’m very close. I’ll need you to leave your walkie on, from here on out I don’t know what’s gonna happen, so it’s safe to leave it on just in case. Mute yours, you’ll still hear me. Remember the code word --” “ _yea yea...i know, ya don’ needa remind me,_ ”

“Alright, okay.” That said, you jammed your button and left the transmission open, before strapping it at your back. “Can you hear me well enough?”

“ _yea, i can hear ya fine, sweetheart. mutin’ mine now. see ya soon?_ ”

You chuckled weakly. “ _that ain’t very reassuring. ya owe me a date, doll._ ”

“Alright, yeah, I’ll see you and the kids soon,” you spoke in one breath, so he couldn’t hear your voice breaking, lest you’d see him pop up here. There was a gruff laugh and then silence, which meant he did mute his walkie and could now hear your every word even if you couldn’t hear his.

Exhaling softly, you stood straight, squared your shoulders, and returned to the elevator, where Toriel was waiting with a solemn look on her face. Without any more words, you grasped her rope this time and walked inside the lift, the monster following your steps and settling by your side.

An eternity seemed to pass as silence fell between you two, ending only when the elevator doors slid open with a clinking noise that startled you slightly.

God, you were already jumpy.

Nothing prepared you for the sight that greeted you as soon as you waltzed out, goat in toe. New Home, as it was dubbed, looked stunning. There were rows upon rows of grey buildings standing tall and looking majestic, and you couldn't help but walk on the path with widened eyes. This wasn't just a palace, it was an entire kingdom.

“Asgore...he was never good with names,” the queen commented as her eyes wandered as well. Perhaps more than yours. “But I found it endearing...when we were still husband and wife, before this tragedy…” the added phrase made you cringe involuntarily.

There was a turn and then…

It looked...Everything looked _identical_ to the Ruins, the beginning of the catacombs. You paused a bit to stare, not expecting to come upon this of all things. He...he really loved her, didn’t he? Keeping it all the same…

Brows furrowed, you continued inside, finding the exact same layout as Toriel’s house. It looked abandoned, yes, but not very dirty. The walls were white and everything else was a dull grey, depressing and cold, sad. In the living room, there were four chairs at the table, two big ones on each end and two small ones in the middle, as if...for two children. _Oh god._

You whipped your head back to look at the monster, only to see her gaze downcast, head bowed --was this painful for her? “The way...it’s through the garden…” she croaked out, avoiding your gaze “Down the stairs, lost one,”

You were about to address it now, but you stopped yourself and closed your mouth. It felt inappropriate to do it now. _Maybe next time._

“Let’s go then.”

...

On your way through the house and down the stairs, along the very long corridor and then on another path that overlooked what was once the monster kingdom, the tension became heavy, there was something along these walls that made your heart beat faster.

The anticipation, the anxiety, you concluded for yourself that those were the culprits. Mostly the fact that you were here and your companion was clearly distressed by this place. It reminded her of her children, surely. In her grief, she probably left this place, to forget.

“His dust, it was spread over the flowers in the garden,” she supplied, voice weak, the closer you got.

What were you supposed to say? Silence was the only response you could give as your hand clenched over the rope. “The humans, they once again took everything we had...but he chose to succumb to his desperation and grief…”

Your teeth gritted and jaw set.

There was an energy you couldn’t even describe, lurking at every step, making you feel almost breathless. Finally, after passing another elevator, Toriel nudged you to your right and you entered a great and imposing hall.

Tall pillars stood proud and enormous windows made of painted glass loomed over you.

“What... _is_ this place?”

“The judgement hall...this is where--...I believe we should continue on, child,” her gaze was empty as she stared off to her left, at the windows that somehow let light spill through. Where did this light even come from? Okay, you needed to stop gawking and start moving.

It was...so intimidating, though.

As you walked, your footsteps echoed in a very somber manner, making it all that much more... _real_. There was a feeling resonating deep within you and you didn’t know what it was, but it felt encouraging, like fingertips touching your shoulder lightly, and you had to look back. Was there anyone here with you? A shiver ran down your spine, but you marched on.

Swallowing the knot forming in your throat, you left the room behind and stepped out between grey walls again. There was a plaque ahead, where it said ‘ _throne room_ ’, so you entered the royal domain quite comfortably, mostly curious.

Greenery and golden flowers spread throughout the grandiose room. There were pools of light showering patches of the garden-like chamber, pillars framing it on both sides and the back of it, marble cracked but still a beautiful stark white that contrasted with the rest of the verdure.

A lone throne chair sat in the middle, surrounded by buttercups, and sitting in it was Asgore himself.

Your breath caught in your throat and you immediately yanked Toriel in front of you, flipped out a knife and held it at her throat.

Behind him, stood three monsters that you recognized. Alphys, Papyrus and Undyne.

Asgore didn’t look fazed by you actions, instead, he watched you calmly, his paws interlaced and posture relaxed in the royal chair. His eyes, they were hardened and cold, observing you with so much intelligence and sharpness that it made your knees feel weak.

“Howdy,” his booming voice carried off, making you tense and tighten your grip at Toriel’s throat. The monsters behind him remained silent, their eyes fixed on you, however. The king sighed and looked off to his side, unlatching his paws and placing them on the armrests.

“It is a nice day outside...the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming...it’s a perfect day to play catch, is it not? Golly, where are my manners?” He straightened up in his seat again, facing you once more, his crown gleaming into the light.

“I know who you are, _Asgore_ ,” you spoke harshly. “Ah, of course, you have been living among us for quite a while, no? Well, _hunter_ , you have my attention. I would like my dear wife back,”

You swallowed thickly. “I have two demands,” the blade pressed harder on Toriel’s neck and you could feel her tensing. “One, you bring the barrier down. Two, you tell your goons there to get lost and then fight me on your own, coward,”

“So you wish for a fair fight with me. I accept, however, I too have a demand. There is an army outside, waiting for my order to come in and devour you alive. I believe I am making you a favor by accepting your terms, therefore, I do suggest you accept mine too.”

Clearly, he knew his shit. You weren’t in a position to negotiate much here, so you needed to take what you were given for now. “What is it?”

“Your bag. If I face you, I will face you with what you have on yourself,” he extended a large hand, waiting for you to do as you were told.

“Give me your word that you will do as you say, promise me,” you sneered at him, narrowing your eyes. “Ah, so you do know how monsters are bound to their words, smart human,” he chuckled darkly and bowed his great horns into a nod “Very well, you have my word. Give me your bag first and I will have the barrier down,”

Okay, this was fine. Your whole body was painfully tense, counting the seconds as you slipped the bag off your back. The monster candy was in there, this was a huge risk, your nail gun was in there too, the smoke bombs, the gas mask, the eyeglasses. You were giving up your chance at living through this -- _but Ally_. Luckily, the walkie was strapped on your back.

Glaring at him and keeping a chokehold on Toriel, you hurled the bag forward. It landed a few feet away from the king. “Papyrus, do fetch me the bag,” he ordered shortly after, keeping eye contact with you the whole time.

The skeleton strode up from behind the king and effortlessly plucked the baggage from the plane of flowers, bringing it to Asgore and looking at you with...familiar eyes. He was the brother of Sans, after all. Granted, Papyrus was...terrifying, what with the scar over one of his eyesockets, his attire and jagged teeth. “HERE YOU ARE, MY KING,”

Oh god, and his voice. It made you internally cower away.

As soon as his paw lifted the bag from the royal guard leader, fire spread over the material in a few seconds, incinerating all your chances in front of your face. Your lips parted and you stared at everything just going to shit in no time, humorlessly writing a _‘the end’_ sign on your forehead in your mind.

“Your turn,” you spat in annoyance at the king who was watching your bag burn into nothing but ashes, with a sense of satisfaction on his goat ass face. His head inched up, before he tilted it towards Alphys’ position. The yellow lizard shuffled forward, fidgeting with a tablet in one hand and pushing her crazy looking glasses up on her nose with the other. “T-the barrier i-is down, my king!” she replied in a perky but stuttered manner, before Asgore could even give the order.

 _This was it_. His eyes returned to your form, waiting for the end of your bargain.

Breathing in to calm your nerves, you smiled. “I gotta ask, though. _Orange_ you glad to finally meet me face to face?” the code word was out. You continued to grin, trying to stall this as much as you could, to offer the kids and Sans a real chance to get out.

Papyrus looked positively annoyed by your use of ‘orange’, but the king was watching you with a raised eyebrow. “It is good to finally put a face to the mask, yes.”

You let out a breathy laugh. “I admit, I expected more of a reaction than what you’re giving me, considering the pain in the ass I’ve been and how easily I managed to screw with you guys. I mean, come on, for almost a year, nobody even glanced my way,” another dry cackle.

“I must say, I was impressed with your skill for deceit,” the king narrowed his eyes at you as if trying to read your intentions. You closed your eyes and smiled, not giving him any chance of reading you. “Deceit, huh? How goes the human trafficking? You know, that’s actually against our laws over there in the human world, right? Kinda really frowned upon and all --”

“ _Enough!_ ” Asgore roared with finality in his tone. Papyrus took a step back, but glared holes into your body after you mentioned the humans and their escape. The tyrant had had enough, however, so it was time to wrap this up. Opening your eyes, mostly because you had been jolted to alertness by his impatient growl, you let the ice cold hues settle on his dark mane, not on his optics. It was dangerous to let him look for too long. Silly, you knew, but you couldn't help the paranoia coursing through your veins.

“I’m gonna let her go as soon as your buddies there are on their way out,”

He outstretched an arm and made a dismissing motion. The three monsters bowed their heads and turned to leave. At the same time, you slid the knife away from Toriel’s neck and nudged her forward towards him.

One. Two.

Three. Four.

Five steps.

“Alphys, bring the barrier back up.”

Your heart leaped. She was too far for you to reach out and grab her back and she was close enough for him to do it, so you could only remain in your place, frozen. The lizard made quick work on her tablet with her claws “B-Barrier is up a-again, my king!” and then she retreated with the other two.

Toriel, however, she snarled at the king with quickened steps “No! You need to put an end to this Asgore, make all of this suffering and humiliation stop!”

Her plea shocked you to the core. Her head shook and the king shot up to his feet, but she slapped his hand away when he reached for her. “Asgore, _please_ , you need to stop, you miserable whelp! Is it not enough suffering and pain? Why did you have to carry your grief to the surface with you? Why could we not live peacefully?” her cries were choked with sobs and tears, the queen in distress and agitated.

“Tori... _my Tori_...have you forgotten what they did?”

“It is in the past! Do you believe I do not remember? Look what grief has made me! It made me lose my mind and it made you lose yourself in anger and vengeance!”

The ruler grasped his dear wife to his chest and held her there tightly. There was a moment of quiet, where Toriel simply cried in his shoulder, embracing him as well --and, it was heartwarming. Maybe, just maybe you could still succeed, like this. Hell, _this_ was much better than you were --

She suddenly gasped and heaved, trying to push against him. You didn’t understand what was happening, not until you saw his hand coming out on the other side, _through her_ , bloody.

He yanked his arm back and pushed her with the movement.

Toriel was staring up at him with widened eyes and mouth opened, before her gaze slipped over to you, her tear-streaked fur and frightened expression fixing itself into your mind forever. Her body slowly started turning to dust, until there was nothing but a pile of it where the queen once stood.

Mouth agape, mortified, you tried to make sense of what just happened.

“Even my queen, you humans took everything from me…. _even my wife_ …” he spoke gravely, watching the pile of dust a foot away from him with empty eyes. 

_Did he...did he just kill Toriel?_

“What…. _what the fuck_...what the fuck is _wrong_ with you?” the shriek that left you had him snap his head in your direction. “Humanity is what is wrong with me, with this world! You do not deserve any of it, no part of the surface.”

Fucking get a grip! Holy shit, you couldn’t take your eyes off of the pile of dust.

What the fuck? You didn’t even realize how shallow your breathing was.

 _“I’m gonna dust you, you piece of shit!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you liked it, please leave kudos, comment and bookmark!   
> ya'll know I love hearing from you guys


	27. oh mary, contrary, how does your garden grow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew, chapter 27  
> next one is the end, oh man oh man, i am not sure how this one will be received, a bit worried is all  
> there's something i'm not satisfied with but i can't put my finger on it, no matter how many times i edited/added/took out  
> orz i can only hope you guys will like it regardless   
> uhhh, so enjoy? please leave me your feedback, yes? ; u; b
> 
> songs to go with this : [Undertale Remix] SharaX - It's Raining Somewhere Else ; Digital Daggers - Still Here

The lulling sound of the engine made it hard to stay awake. It didn’t help that night was upon them now and he didn’t want to turn on the lights. All the kids were huddled together in their seats, under warm blankets, sleeping. The static from the walkie thankfully didn’t wake them, not even Two’s raspy voice as she trudged through what he once called home.

His eye lights dimmed and sockets drooped. Did he come across as desperate when he mentioned the date? Was it too much? Was it not enough? Was her reply a yes or no, because often, with her, he never knew, her words were always too vague.

Groaning, he leaned back into the driver’s seat, propping his feet up on next to the wheel, on the board. The walkie between his phalanges was muted on his end, but he could hear her clearly -- _”Asgore...he was never good with names,”_ he rolled his eyes at that, the old hag trying to make conversation with his sweetheart _“But I found it endearing...when we were still husband and wife, before this tragedy…”_

His brow bone arched mockingly at what she was saying. Leave it to Tori to make things awkward. He could pretty much hear Two rolling her eyes or cringing too. A long long pause followed, during which he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, taking the opportunity to maybe nap again.

_ZzzzZZ_

_zZZZzzzz_

_….zzzzZZZ_

_“What...is this place?”_

_“The judgement hall...this is where--”_ in an instant, Sans jolted up straight in his seat, red pinpricks on the walkie, sweat starting to form over his skull. “don’ do it, tori...c’mon...don’ fuckin’ do it….” he hissed through sharp teeth _“I believe we should continue on, child,”_ he exhaled and fell back in the chair, wiping the sweat off with his sleeve. She didn’t have to know about Frisk, she shouldn’t know about what he did in the judgement hall, or how Frisk met their end there. A guilty conscience was enough to keep him awake at night, he didn’t need his sweetheart to be disgusted with him...to abandon him…

Better keep an ear on what was going on. Breathing in and out, he calmed his agitated SOUL, and stared at the device with bated breath.

And waited.

And waited some more. His eyes were starting to close, when _“Howdy,”_ \--that woke him right up, again. A cold chill ran down his spine. Where were they? Was she okay? The voice sounded as if it was some distance away. His SOUL thumped impatiently and cold sweat formed on his cranium again. Sans shifted in the chair uncomfortably and brought the walkie closer to his face, as if any soft sound was important, as if he wanted to hear her breathing, know she was alive.

_“It is a nice day outside...the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming...it’s a perfect day to play catch, is it not? Golly, where are my manners?”_

Asgore made his magic buzz tensely in the air, sizzling and scratchy. His teeth gritted together and then he heard her _“I know who you are, Asgore,”_ and he felt his bones rattle at how cold her voice was. He had been on the receiving end of that before and while he found it amusing then, he knew now that she meant business and underestimating her could be a serious miscalculation.

_“Ah, of course, you have been living among us for quite a while, no? Well, hunter, you have my attention. I would like my dear wife back,”_

He flinched at the harshness of the king’s tone. “c’mon sweetheart, ya can do it…” _“I have two demands,”_ \--”atta girl…” his grin hitched higher. So far, so good. For a second, he glanced back at the kids, pin pricks dancing over their forms as if to ensure they were still asleep. They had a long night ahead of them.

 _“One, you bring the barrier down. Two, you tell your goons there to get lost and then fight me on your own, coward,”_ he turned back really fast when she mentioned ‘goons’. Who else was there? His brother, he was certain. Who else? Stars, if Papyrus knew what he was doing right now, aiding the hunter, betraying his own kind...well, he would be dusted in the blink of an eye. Brow bones drawn together, he clicked his tongue. “can’t say i got guts like ya, doll, i’m jus' a skeleton…”

_“So you wish for a fair fight with me. I accept, however, I too have a demand. There is an army outside, waiting for my order to come in and devour you alive. I believe I am making you a favor by accepting your terms, therefore, I do suggest you accept mine too.”_

His SOUL throbbed in worry and anxiety, trailing down his bones like hot lava. An army, there was a fucking army outside? Was she still in the Underground then? He started bouncing his leg, phalanges tightening around the device “take his fuckin’ offer...anythin’s better than whatever --” _“What is it?”_ Good girl. Sans closed his eyesockets and used one hand to rub at them, distressed. He should’ve been there with her, damn his own kind, he should’ve gone with her. Look at all this crazy talk he was doing...

But she wanted him to stay with the kids and protect them. Of course she put those brats before her own good _“Your bag. If I face you, I will face you with what you have on yourself,”_ \--oh shit.

No. The only thing that could heal her was in that bag. She couldn’t...she wouldn’t -- _“Give me your word that you will do as you say, promise me,”_

_No no no no…_

His eye lights dimmed. _“Ah, so you do know how monsters are bound to their words, smart human,”_ immediately, dread settled well within him, like a coiling snake. Did Asgore figure it out? A drop of sweat slipped down his skull, grin downwards and red pupils staring at the walkie as if he was looking at a death sentence.

Asgore was very smart, not in the technical jargon kind of way like Sans was, but in a ‘ _I know more than I let on_ ’ sort of way. Nothing escaped his careful gaze, not even the slightest twitch. _“Very well, you have my word. Give me your bag first and I will have the barrier down,”_ his breathing became shallower the more this progressed.

But his sweetheart was counting on him, he couldn’t allow himself to have a panic attack over this now.

He placed the device in his lap and grasped the steering wheel tightly, closing his eyes and breathing in and out. There was no time for him to feel nauseous or get cold feet, he promised her, he would deliver.

 _‘Thud’_ \--that was her bag. _“Papyrus, do fetch me the bag,”_ there it was, his confirmation. His brother was there. What did they think about him now? Did they figure out that he was helping her? His absence must have been noted, he was supposed to return with scouting information four days ago. Surely they pieced it all together. _“HERE YOU ARE, MY KING,”_ his voice, even if not reaching him directly, it made him cower into himself physically, it made him very stressed, on the edge. More drops of sweat slithered down his cranium.

_“Your turn,”_

A short pause followed after, during which he opened his eyes and trembled with anticipation. _“T-the barrier i-is down, my king!”_ and there was Alphys. A burning sensation spread over his bones and he leaned over the wheel, to look at the sky. The shimmering was gone in a way that made it resemble the dusting of a monster --shit, time to get this show on the road. Shoving down and bottling up everything he was feeling, he turned on the headlights and buckled up, arranging the rear-view mirror and then releasing the handbrake.

“a’ight ya brats, better buckle up!” as soon as he said that, his foot pressed the clutch to the floor and he moved the gearstick into first gear. A few grumbles and soft whispering started in the back, the kids starting to wake up, confused as to what was going on. “we’re on the move, c’mon get your butts up --”

_“I gotta ask, though. Orange you glad to finally meet me face to face?”_

He snorted involuntarily. “That’s t-the codeword!” Ally lurched forward from the front seats, eyes looking tired and voice sounding raspy. “yea...das the one,” as he stated that, his foot let up on the clutch while pushing down on the accelerator.

The bus was already warm and prepped, so shifting the gears was no problem, neither was speeding up. A large thud made the vehicle tremble, signaling the passing of the barrier, where it cracked the ground when it was first erected.

heh. _Erected._

“an’ we’re out…”

During the whole ordeal, he stopped paying attention to the walkie, until he heard Tori’s shouts, pleading with Asgore to end all of this. He moved his eyes from the road and to the map, then to the device in his lap.

He didn’t see that coming. Toriel actually taking the huntress’ side?

But then he heard her shriek and he slammed the brake so fast, the bus lurched violently. _“What….what the fuck...what the fuck is wrong with you?”_ \--what happened? What was going on? The kids were making a commotion back there, but his face was angled at the walkie, hands gripping the wheel so tight he thought it would break.

_“Humanity is what is wrong with me, with this world! You do not deserve any of it, no part of the surface.”_

Asgore’s tone made a cold chill run down his spine once more, the threat and intent behind it so full of malice, _“I’m gonna dust you, you piece of shit!”_ \--what the fuck happened? His breathing was labored again, the more he heard the agitation in her voice, the anger. There was the muffled voice of Asgore one more time, some shuffling, the wheezing air and her pained grunt.

Then a powerful smack and nothing. Static.

His SOUL felt like it was being ripped in two. Hands trembling, Sans tried to recollect himself, focus on the task she gave him. Stars, she was a hunter, one of the top best, she could do it, she had this. She was going to be okay, she said so herself and she wouldn’t lie to him. His sweetheart wouldn’t lie to him, he kept repeating that in his head again and again like a mantra.

Finally, when the background noise stopped being a blurr, he moved his eyes over the map stuck to the wheel. Ally somehow ended up by his side and he didn’t even notice. “what’dya want, kid?” he snapped at her all of a sudden, feeling angry, frustrated and overwhelmed. The little girl cowered away from him, but didn’t back down “I j-just wanted t-to see if you w-were okay!”

“..’m fine… _peachy_ …”

He had to continue. He promised her... _he fucking promised her._

...

  
The check-point, as she called it, was just as she predicted, ten minutes away from the barrier, behind a roadblock of red signs that read stop. Needless to say, he didn’t stop, he slammed the acceleration and crashed right into the barriers, tires screeching and bus barreling through. The place was built from easy to tear materials, strong enough to shelter the ones deployed here, but a piece of cake to pack up and leave. From what Two explained to him, they were a military branch and now he saw what she meant as he looked at the tents they put up along with the supplies and bodies that came out of some improvised barracks, the trucks and all around feeling of the place.

Pressing the brake, the vehicle slid and twisted a bit, stopping just before he ran through one of said barracks. In an instant, at least one hundred hunters, donning the same outfit as Two, ran up to the bus and surrounded it, each with their own weapon, stark white masks glaringly haunting in the darkness of the night. The kids were looking through the windows of the bus, pointing fingers and muttering between each other, confused mostly by the display and scared.

Shit, he was really doing this.

Sweating bullets, he turned to the children. “a’ight….ya kids go first, doubt they’d be nice an’ friendly if i came out first,” his voice was lower than usual, sounding tired and worn out. Ally looked at him and then at the bus door hesitantly, before nodding bravely and sliding off her seat. Sans pressed the button that opened the door and he could already feel the heavy tension in the air.

Ally went out first.

Then two other kids.

And then four others, until all was left was him. Wiping the sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket again, his other hand fidgeted with the crumpled paper in his pocket, having read it while the brats got off.

Now or never. Slowly, very slowly, he stood up from the driver’s seat and cautiously, measuring each step, he descended down the bus’ steps as well. The kids were being checked by two of the hunters that surrounded the bus, however, as soon as they saw him come out, all weapons were pointed at him. Exhaling quietly, he raised both hands up in surrender, the crumpled paper between his phalanges.

“i’m here ‘cause of two, the huntress. she got a message for ya…”

They didn’t budge.

“a lion sleeps in the heart of every brave man,” he quoted the passcode written neatly inside the folded paper. The hunters looked at each other, so that meant he was onto something. Feeling a bit more daring, he swallowed down his anxiety and “ava tait, hunter ranked number two, she gave me the passcode an’ a message to deliver…”

The brats were awfully quiet, watching him with big widened eyes as the hunters shoved them back. Not a peep, not even from Ally who was staring right at him.

Suddenly, a hunter shoved their way through the ones in the first line, tall and with the same stark white mask. Upon closer inspection, Sans noticed the roman number one on it. “How do we know this is not a trick, monster?” the distorted voice asked, authority lacing it and showing their rank with ease. So this was One, the one Two was speaking of. On the tip of his tongue was the simple answer of ‘ _cause ya ain’t dead where ya stand_ ’ --but...

“got ya these brats here safe, she’s out there, fightin’ the king, das how she got the barrier down so i could get ‘em outta there,” he replied simply, shrugging his shoulders at the end nonchalantly, despite his SOUL thrumming frantically at just that phrase alone.

“She is alive?” the hunter took one step closer.

“last i heard her voice was ten minutes ago...i’d say ya better get goin’ if ya wanna keep ‘er that way,” --come on, she was already knee-deep in shit, couldn't they do something and faster? What kind of hunters were they?

“Give me her message,” they finally said, approaching with calculated steps. Huh, just like Two, the pattern was very similar, the way their body moved. “sure,” the skeleton outstretched his arm, phalanges still around the crumpled note. He already knew what her message was, what her plan entailed and how to execute it to the finale.

For that he needed to play nice. Needed patience.

The hunter plucked the note from him and opened it almost too eagerly, scanning it over through the visor. Probably trying to see if it was her handwriting --that made him slightly annoyed, that someone else was close enough to her to know her handwriting.

A few moments of silence passed, all masks fixed on him and their leader, One, for a verdict.

Said hunter’s shoulder slumped, and he brought the note to their forehead in a sign of affectionate relief that made Sans bristle. “She’s...it really is her…” the distorted voice muttered, body turning abruptly to the left and his hand coming up to tap on the side of his head. “Establish a private channel with the councilors, Mister Tait, especially. His daughter is alive, I repeat, Two is alive.”

 _Daughter? Councilor?_ Her father was a councilor? As in...as in one of the direct descendants of the original mages that trapped his kind Underground?

Is that why...why she said they wouldn’t bomb the whole city because she was in there? Or why she mentioned her family being hunters for generations? That confused him, but now...now it made sense. His mouth felt dry as he stared at the hunter in front of him, shouting orders to the others and relying information through his earpiece.

“You, monster, she mentions that you will help destroy the barrier,”

No, he can’t let himself be swayed, he has to have faith. She's not like her father, she's not a mage, she wasn’t at fault for what her ancestor did. “yea…” he replied in a dazed tone. If she was willing to overlook the fact that he was what he is and did what he did...then couldn't he do that too? This was a discussion to be had after all this crap was over, for sure.

“Take the children inside, check them for any injuries and then take their statements. We need to know everything, verify this monster’s story with them. If we go in, we need to know this is not an ambush. I will need eyes on the city at all cardinal points.”

And then the hunter turned to him. “Six, Ten, guard him and don’t let him out of your sights...unless, you would like to come inside?”

Sans almost missed the question, his stare blank into the distance, through the human. The cutting tone, however, made him snap out of his thoughts and gaze at One with a light sneer. “nah, i’m good, pal.” --she did warn him not to go inside if invited and reject anything they might give him.

 ...

She said it herself, she didn’t want to be a hunter. After fifteen minutes, the skeleton was still inside the hunters’ check-point, sitting idly on the steps of the bus and staring at the walkie with apprehension.

Why didn’t she tell him then?

Stars, she knew he’d find out, she was a smart cookie like that, a step ahead of him even if he didn’t know it. That was both arousing and concerning. That meant she trusted him to not abandon her when he’d find out, surely, she knew how he’d react to this information --it didn’t change what they had done however, it didn’t replace her kisses and touches with venomous intentions and manipulation.

She was still his sweetheart. He was also not...willing to let her go.

“Your story checks out, monster,” the voice was not distorted anymore, so when Sans snapped his gaze up at the hunter, he saw a face instead of a mask. The male had red hair, in shaggy curls, his face was littered with freckles and his eyes were as green as the verdure on Mt. Ebott. Then there was the cold and hardened features, speaking volumes. Six and Ten were still close, their masks angled on his position, waiting for further orders. Huh, they were trained like dogs.

“They happened to also mention a map, you saving Two and looking after them...and cheating at poker,”

At that moment, another hunter joined them, bearing the number three on the mask. “One, they are sending three pelicans and four chinooks, Mister Tait will be on his way as well, but we have permission to proceed from the Council, would be a waste of time to wait for him,”

“They should have given their permission ten minutes ago, all because of their idiotic bureaucracy she might be dead for all we know,” One commented bitterly, his lips turning into a sneer.

Sans’ SOUL quivered at that, but he kept his face neutral, simply observing the interactions between the two and listening in to what they were saying. “I will need a layout of the city and the surroundings --” justice and perseverance working together. That was all cute and fun, but the clock was ticking and Asgore wasn't a kind and merciful ruler. There was no sympathy for a human hunter having challenged him, no matter how good she was.

“already got that...two even marked shit for ya to see,” the skeleton interrupted, his sharp grin strained. “s’in the bus, stuck to the wheel,” as he said this, he stood up from the stairs and moved aside, choosing to lean his back on the cold metal of the vehicle.

One didn’t waste a second more and climbed inside. Shortly after, he emerged with the map in his hands, having unfolded it and looking over the places marked by Two. Three came by his side and scanned the map as well, giving One a nudge “At least her doodles got better, yeah?” the mirth wasn’t lost on Sans, it made him clench his jaw and glare daggers at the backs of the two. “Send them the coordinates, get the trucks ready, we’re going out,”

Then suddenly, One turned around, eyeing him sharply and Sans quickly moved his gaze elsewhere, as if he wasn’t even paying attention. “Monster, you know what you need to do. Helping with this will grant you our protection and immunity...as per the regulations found in the act--”

“i wan’ that for my brother too, he’s the tall skeleton, can’t be missed,” if Two was making demands, then so could he, it only felt fair “an’ i need to know ya ain’t gonna go there an’ kill everyone in ya sights.” his eyelights completely vanished, leaving only hollow black eyesockets to look at.

One didn’t even flinch, but Three became tense, it was easy to tell by the body language. “Our objective isn’t to kill everything in our sights, the organization does not operate as a guns for hire in regards to monsters; this is not an act of genocide. And you have yourself a deal,”

“das what i like to hear. well, toodles, got a generator to wreck. see ya there,”

And with that said, he vanished into thin air. Phase one was done, time to move on to phase two.

…

What was the relationship between Two and One, or Two and Three? One was acting as if he was being reunited with a lover and Three behaved as if they knew her well enough to poke fun at her. The raging jealousy only got worse and worse, the more he spent time through the corridors of the City Hall. It didn't help that his mind was already jumbled up and feeling like he was going to die at any given moment.

The center was mostly empty, safe for the monsters such as Grillby and some others that were not part of their army and otherwise useless. His magic was starting to dwindle every time he used it, so he was thankful he didn’t have to use it on other monsters.

A growl cut the silence, right behind him and echoed through the large hallway.

He jinxed himself, didn’t he? “i’m pawsitive ya ain’t here to greet me, are ya?” turning around, eye flashing red, he watched the mutt advance towards him, battle axe dragging behind him.

_heh._

So they placed some guards around in case someone showed up unexpectedly --that, or they were expecting him. Another snarl resounded behind him and when he glanced back, sharp teeth bared in a wicked grin, he met with the eyes of five more mutts. Speaking of mutts --“mutt ya hound me like this?”

His grin only got wider as the canines jumped for him. In an instant, a row of big  sharp bones materialized above the five behind him and impaled them to the ground, turning them to dust in a second. The one in front of him was blown away by one summoned blaster, Sans’ hand raised lazily towards the place where only a pile of dust remained.

He didn’t have time for this. _She didn’t have time for this._ If this coup was gonna work, then he wouldn’t have to worry about being found out or whatever, he just had to do his part, save the day, get the girl, no pressure. The head of the gaster blaster dissipated. Frowning, he continued on his way, stuffing his hands back in his jacket pockets. The spike of anxiety that kept poking at him made things so much worse and this experience so unpleasant.

Just a little more. His magic slammed the doors open and --”shit.” the generator wasn’t in the city council chamber anymore. They moved it? Cold sweat rolled down his skull, red pupils slits and small, grin downwards. Oh stars, Two was going to die, he was going to kill her. Breathing heavily, the skeleton stumbled inside and started turning this way and that, panicking and --”fuckin’ otaku bitch moved it...where the fuck--”

He needed to calm down and think.

The dome, was it moved even an inch? Focusing on the edge of the barrier where he stood with the kids, Sans poofed from the City Hall and reappeared in the spot he’d been in before.

Magic was starting to sizzle out. That meant he had to nap and recharge before he undoubtedly overexerted himself. Usually, his magic came in strange and powerful bursts when he teleported, which easily fatigued him if he used it too often over large distances. It didn’t help that after he took the kids out to the bus, he didn’t get to nap properly so he could conserve the energy.

Panting and sweating a bit too much, he dragged his feet to the edge of the barrier, studying the ground where it erected from, closely. No change. Consequently, the generator wasn’t moved outside the City Hall.

That only gave him...about fifty chambers to check. Unless he looked at the problem analytically and logically.

It made no sense to hide it in certain rooms of the City Hall, not smart --so they would have taken it somewhere safe, where...

Wait...the mayor’s office, where Asgore took over and made it his own. Might as well start there. “the things i do for a fuckin’ date…”

And again, he was gone.

The moment he popped into said office, his knees gave out and he had to hold himself up by leaning on the door, eyes tiredly searching for the large engine-like creation he and Alphys had made. Of course he helped with that, in fact, it was mostly his concept and blueprints, the former royal scientist only aiding in designing it and making it possible to harness free energy, like the CORE back in the Underground did, at a smaller scale.

It seemed like a good idea back then, getting himself in the good graces of Asgore and making humans taste their own medicine.

Heaving, the skeleton pushed himself on his feet and straightened up with a grunt.

The mechanical concoction stood there, on the desk, encased in glass, with a thin string of the purest energy surging upwards from it. This, this was the center of the barrier.

And he was about to destroy this magnificent creation, something he should be proud of.

Not that he wasn’t, but knowing... _seeing_ what it did, made him slightly impassive at the prospect of all this hard work going to waste. “nah...it ain’t goin’ to waste…” he muttered to himself, bringing a hand up and tapping his skull “s’all right here…” and that was probably why he didn’t even flinch when his bones impaled it and tore it into scraps of metal.

He shivered at how the air changed with the finality of this act.

His sweetheart, it was for his...for his _Ava_.

And that made it all okay.

“shit…” he needed to get there, to go to her. Closing his eyes and sweating profusely, he willed his very SOUL to carry him to her, through the void, through the forest.

But when he opened his eyes, he was merely outside the City Hall. Cold numbing dread slithered down his bones --his magic was too weak to get him there in one go. He would have to make short bursts, teleport a few meters at a time.

Stars, was this karma?

Desperation lacing on his face, he tried again, only to end up across the street. “no….no...this ain’t happenin’...”

A frustrated growl left him as he tried again and again... _and again_. The results were the same.

...no

Instinctively, his SOUL reached out to hers, looking for the beacon that was his motivation right now...only to find --

“ _sweetheart…_.?” He started running for the first time in his life.

Then stumbled and fell, but scrambled back up on his feet and started once again, ignoring how exhaustion bit at his whole being.

 

* * *

 

 

  
The insult didn’t go unnoticed. Not that you were aiming to veil it in subtlety. Especially not now, when a pile of dust stood in place of Toriel.

She really wanted to redeem herself, the notion fell upon your shoulders, another weight to carry. Yet, you didn’t give her words much thought, saw her as being deceitful, didn’t take this into account --and how could you? How many murderous ex-husbands did you know, really? His madness reached its peak and there was no way to go but down.

“You have quite a foul mouth, hunter,” he snarled as he approached, his tall frame easily towering over you in an intimidating display of authority. He reached out with both arms and you ducked swiftly, taking advantage of your shorter stature, a punch targeting his chest flying without you giving it any second thought. It was mostly supposed to stun him, get back the personal space he was invading, but then his knee connected harshly with your stomach and hurled you back.

Inhaling sharply, you manage to dig your heels back into the ground as you slide back, hands grasping at the dirt and flowers for some purchase, before you use the momentum and sprint back towards him at the same time he comes for you.

Upredictably, you throw the dirt and flowers in his face and he lurches back, sputtering, revealing your chance. Mind running faster than a freight train, you slam your fist into his chin in a brilliantly executed uppercut that would put professional boxers to shame. However, the movement causes your bruising stomach to stretch and hurt, so knowing the damage this goliath can do, you quickly leap back to put up some distance. “You call this a fair fight?” he snarls, the dirt you threw in his eyes tainting his stark white fur, eyes with yellow sclera and red irises glaring at you with wrath.

You literally poked the bear. Taking the opportunity the range offers, you show him a taunting grin and breathe in before lunging for him again, taking him by surprise with a direct barrage of punches, kicks and hits, which he blocks smartly by placing his elbows in front of his face and turning on his side. You are so consumed with anger and the will to bring this piece of shit down, that you only focus on your movements and not on the ones of your adversary. Your mentors would probably be ashamed with how erratic you are and how exposed you leave yourself. Asgore notices that, he awaits for the right moment and when you give him the opening he needs, his leg strikes your side into a roundhouse kick that flings you into a column. You cry out at the impact, body tensed and aching --hell, you couldn’t even catch yourself with how easily he maneuvered you around. “You lack discipline...how have you gotten so far, human?”

Personally, right now you were sure you lacked self-preservation as well, because you stood up and sneered at the king goat. Feeling more and more annoyed by the minute, you try to think of some kind of plan --he was big, that didn’t make him very fast, but it made him very strong. You couldn’t match that, no matter how hard you tried, so you could either tire him out or incapacitate him somehow. He wasn’t even using his weapon to flick you off like you were some irritating mosquito.

That’s what happens when you fight a boss monster, you berated yourself acidly.

Choosing not to engage him verbally, you breathe in and jump right back into the battle, repeating the previous process into a flurry of kicks, punches and hits, but before he can set his own rules, before he can easily dominate the field and corner, this time, you duck, twist around him and slam your foot into the back of his right knee. The beast falls on his knees with a surprised bark, not having expected the move and you jump on his back, you arms circling around his neck in a chokehold meant to suffocate him. “Fucking motherfucker shit...god damn it you piece of shit!” you keep cussing, struggling to tighten your hold and praying to all the deities you knew of for this to work.

Tighter. Tighter. More!

His large fist connect with the side of your head, again and again and again, so hard it breaks skin, but you keep strong, gritting your teeth. _Don’t let go, don’t fucking let go!_ He stands up with you abruptly and with a roar, backs into the column you previously hit, slamming you into it over and over again until your hold gets loose and you cry out in pain, crumpling on the ground and wheezing. _Fucking damn it!_ You were pretty sure the walkie was no longer operational or intact with how your back crashed into the hard marble.

This time, his cape flings to the side and he pulls up a staff, collapses it into a trident and brings it above his head, a glint in his eyes, before aiming it down at you. “Shit!”

You roll away at the last possible moment and shakily stand up, before leaping back to put some distance between yourself and the mad king. You were already feeling light-headed from the close encounter earlier, but you needed to concentrate, catch your breath. Enough of this brawl, it was about time to get to the juicy part. “Think you’re the only one with a wicked blade?” you cackled, grinning as you pulled two knives from your harness.

In response, he roars like the beast he is and engages you in three strides, bringing his trident up and sweeping towards you.

You push your body forward to meet him with some kind of force, sliding your knives into an x in front of your face and effectively blocking his attempt. The collision caused your legs to bend and feet to slide back. Okay, this direct confrontation was not making it easy on your body. Metal scrapes on metal, the sound almost deafening and you finally manage to twist to the side, forcing him to shove his weapon into the ground.

By now it was made abundantly clear that you couldn’t match his strength. But if you relied on speed, maybe you stood a chance.

While he yanks his trident from the ground, you retreat a few good feet from him, allowing you enough space to watch him and catch your breath again “Futilely you slip away, how long do you believe you can stand against me?”

Long enough, if you’re more careful. Swallowing thickly, you flip your knives outwards, on the offense. He could break your body in two with his bare hands, so if you didn’t do some damage fast, he would be able to do just that as soon as you started to slow down. 

Blades meant to cut this time, you sprint towards him again, eyes watching as he readies his trident to strike, but at the last possible moment, you drop down and slide beneath his feet. With incredible agility, you shoot up to your feet as soon as you’re behind him and before he can even think to turn, you impale your knives into his back with as much force as you can muster. It worked on Toriel, so why wouldn’t it work on him too?

However, the goat king doesn’t seem very affected. He only growls his annoyance and shoves you off easily, an abrupt shake of his body flinging you away before you can yank back you knives and have another turn at it. No matter. You pull out two more from your thighs as soon as your feet touch the ground.

He comes at you fast, though, metal clashing with metal, and he expertly catches one knife, sliding his trident and forcing your hand to twist and drop one blade. Cursing, you look after the kitchen tool, distracted. His knee drives into your stomach hard enough to hurl you back again, not even a second later. Before you can get your bearings from the impact of hitting the ground on your side, he’s upon you, trident dragging after him in one big hand.

You can’t scramble back on your feet fast enough and his trident stabs through the side of your leg, a wail of pain scratching your throat and three deep cuts starting to ooze blood as you struggle to scamper back. He took away your advantage, your agility, knowingly, intentionally. He was aware of what you were doing from the very beginning, you realize bitterly as you try to drag yourself away from this monster. “You keep clinging to whatever it is that gives you hope. Hope is a cruel mistress, hunter, the sweetest kind of torture...ah, the SOUL, it tries to push you harder…”

He follows through by stomping his heavy foot over your side and making you cry out, still struggling to get yourself back up on your feet. That’s when you find your fallen knife, hands and nails scratching at the dirt and flowers.

You grab at it desperately, grasping buttercups with it and then you turn around, plunging it through his calf. The move itself hurts like a bitch and burns through your whole body, but your little antic doesn’t have the desired effect, he growls deeply and reaches out, grabs you by the hair and lifts you up, feet above the ground.

It hurts! “Let go you piece of trash --fucking son of a bitch!” Screaming profanities, you kick upwards, managing to slam your heel into his chest. That angers him enough to throw you through the air, back connecting with a wall and a crack resounding through the throne halls.

You heave, can’t breathe normally, vision getting blurry. Your hands come up to your head, fingers rubbing through blood and you stare almost unimpressed at the red stains on your palms, the scrapes and dirt.

No time to waste. Two more knives. You need to be careful. Ironically, you laugh at the number of weapons left. Cursed by the number two again. You should really consider changing your career or at least the hunter rank.

Clenching your teeth and pulling your feet under yourself, managing to kneel and then crouch, you start to analyze the state of your limbs.

“Do you not understand that this is a waste of time? Capitulate and your death will be fast. You will not feel a thing.” Your leg hurt really bad from the stab, but your heart was beating with adrenaline. Losing blood fast. Not good.

As he approaches, he flings the knife from his leg away as if it was an irritating bug, brushes the wound aside and twirls the trident between large paws, coming towards you slowly before breaking into a heavy run. You snarl and meet him in the middle, blocking the tips of his weapon as you slide by him and drag your blade against the edge.

Suddenly, you drop to your knee, causing him to bow at the middle, switch the knife so the tip faces his stomach and you go for the kill, thoroughly convinced you will cut through his abdomen.

You don’t see it coming, however. Not fast enough to at least move so it doesn’t deal too much damage. His fist collides with your face from your blind point and you’re thrown violently to the side. His foot then slams into your back when you’re down and you tumble forward, landing on your stomach.

“F...fuck…”

You’re shaking bad when you try to sit up, managing only to roll on your side and then barely push yourself upright.

What now?

_You have to carry on. You have to._

What you knew for certain was that one of you would not leave this room alive and your chances were looking slim at the moment. You couldn't let your fear show, you couldn't let it seep through the cracks, because this monster, it fed on it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave kudos and comments if you liked it, bookmark if you wanna keep an eye on it!  
> also, gotta ask, is anyone even listening to the songs i post up there? *weeps*  
> feedback is what i live for ; u; it means a lot when you guys leave me some~


	28. though it's the end of the world, it's not your fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, sorry for the later update  
> this chapter was supposed to go up sooner but then i moved and even though i was supposed to have internet in two days  
> the period stretched out because these guys didn't know what they were doing and there was a faulty wire and yeah  
> you can guess the rest  
> anyway, this is basically the end of the road --until the sequel of course, that's a thing, already have some plans for that  
> if you have any questions, don't hesitate to shoot some my way, yeah? i'm happy to answer you!  
> there's also the epilogue coming in a few days, so while this is the end of the road, that's gonna be the end of this first part  
> to wrap things up nice and tight and set the scene for the next part
> 
> song to go with this : [UNDERTALE] Goodbye to a World - Frisk and Asriel ver.

“I do not need an army to defeat a pitiful soul such as you, young one,”

His voice thundered through the halls of his throne room, making your blood boil. Furious determination ran through your veins, one last attempt to bring down the tyrant. Ice cold pools stared defiantly at the looming figure of the king, bloody and scraped hands grasping the buttercup flowers underneath you with ire.

“And I don’t need an army to cut down a king such as yourself!”

You forced your legs with every ounce of energy left, to sprint up, muscles tensing to their full capacity, mind running as fast as light itself, calculating the steps to reach him. Every drop of strength, you poured it into this last takedown.

You would not let them down.

You couldn’t fail them.

_Ally._

_Sans._

One. Your father. The children, their still smiling faces, despite their suffering and loss.

**Ally.**

The image of her flashed before your eyes, your hand clenching tightly on your last knife as you moved, seemingly in slow motion, as if time itself paused, your heart beating like a war drum. Was this what they meant by seeing your life flash before your eyes? The last living moments?

Wounds no longer hurt. Petals floated around you, kicked by the force of your boots crunching down on the cold muddy ground. The light, it bathed you in brilliant golden and oranges, while the great king with his heavy crown, remained under the veil of darkness.

_This was it._

Your battle cry fell deaf on your ears, but your throat felt scratchy. Your legs pushed on, calves burning, lungs burning, eyes burning with raw emotion and knife ready to swing into the body of Asgore.

There was a fluttering sound, like the wings of a bird. His cape.

Metal scraped on metal and then you were flung back. Brilliant yellow flew up when you crashed down at the feet of the ceremonial chair. Through blurry eyes, you realized it was the flowers surrounding the throne. Your breath left you as you struggled to get up, on shaking hands and knees, blood trailed down your face, painting your lips and chin a radiant red. Drops lingered and fell on the buttercups.

Trembling, you gripped the leg of the throne, wheezing, choking, trying to hoist yourself up, crawling pathetically. Heavy footfalls registered into your hazy mind. “A shame…” his grave voice spoke from behind you as you pulled yourself up, broken and bleeding.

“The SOUL of determination is such a rare thing to possess,” he continued, calm and stern. You whimpered, slumping in his royal seat, head bowed in pain as you tried hard to breathe, chest hurting bad. Through half-lidded eyes, you saw him crouch, impaling his trident into the ground by his enormous form. So easily, as if the wounds inflicted by you were nothing.

And...

Why was he picking flowers? Specks of Toriel’s dust drifted into the air, your face inching up to watch as he expertly worked the poisonous herbage into a crown, weaving the green stems together. Your breathing was heavier and heavier, body growing numb and heart drumming into your ears. Palms slick with blood tried to find purchase against the chair’s armrests so you could twist, so you could try to move, limp away at least.

“I used to make these with my dearest son. He was eager to become a king one day, like myself,” the monster stood to his full height, raven beard moving with his maw, hardened eyes on the crown taking shape between his large digits. “He was everything to me, my legacy, my boy...my stubborn little boy…”

Pulling his trident from the ground, the king marched slowly towards his throne, broad shoulders looking just a little bit slumped, as if the weight of the world was upon him. His horns tipped with his head as soon as he reached you, sprawled on the regal chair, blood spilling on the purple velvet.

Your face was scrunched up in pain, dirty and cut, bruised by the short-lived encounter.

He brought up the flower crown and gently placed it upon your head, the dazzling yellow such a contrast to your dark matted black. “Your sacrifice, young one, your determination, the spark leaving your eyes, I will treasure it…”

He took one...two...steps back and raised his trident. Your eyes glazed over and fear chilled your spine. The weapon was brought back and your eyelashes fluttered against your cheeks.

_Ally. Sans. One. Your father._

_Those children._

It pierced through you with so much ease, the sharp tips barely meeting any resistance at all as it stuck to the back of his throne and he let go of the handle after a short pause; was he quiet so he could hear your last breath? You didn’t gasp or cry out, your mouth was open, but no sounds came out.

Instead, fat tears rolled down your stained cheeks, eyes opening slowly, the light bathing you in its beautiful hues of orange. Shaking hands slipped over the metal of the weapon that impaled you, lip trembling as the salty drops fell down to your chin, more and more, overwhelming.

A whimper.

And another. The king bowed his great mane at you and calmly rounded his royal throne, leaving you in deafening silence, pierced only by your sobs and whines.

You were going to die.

“H...hel..p…”

Voice hoarse, you tried again. “Hel...p…” -- _you were just a girl_. You still had a life to live, you still had things to do...you still had a future to look forward to.

You were one. They were many. “...h..hel...p…”

Again, you pleaded. _But nobody came_. How could you be so stupid as to think you could succeed where others failed?

Fingertips slid from the metal, eyes heavy. The room became red, your SOUL, floating above your chest, blazing like fire.

Like a fire that was slowly being put out.

_You were dying._

How could you even think that you were able to take them on? It was you against them all, against their magic, their tricks and old ways. It was just you. Alone, just a human, just a girl...just a helpless pathetic girl. For your whole life, you lived as though your purpose was to save them all, _but who was going to save you now_?

Painfully, your SOUL dulled, a ripping sound echoing through the great hall.

You never screamed so loud in your whole life. It hurt. It hurt so bad. You wanted to go back home, you wanted to see your father, you wanted to say so much to Sans, you wanted to hug Ally and you wanted to just…

**Live.**

Head lolling to the side, you exhaled shallowly. There was that child again. Their brown locks messy, barely touching their shoulders. You realized you could see their face, the flower crown no longer blocking the red eyes behind it. They had a saddened expression on their face, lips pressed together into a thin line as they watched you. Were you hallucinating perhaps? Was this your reaper? Funny how it had to be one of the fallen children, the last one.

Frisk, right?

 _“Don’t give up…”_ their voice whispered. The crown of flowers fell over your eyes, as if it had been intentionally pulled down to cover them. Your SOUL was being torn in two. _“If you try...just a little bit harder…”_

Your SOUL was ripped in two and your breath hitched.

…

A comforting cold embrace settled on your shoulders, your mouth opened.

_Thump. Thump._

_Thump._

Resonating within you, was a feeling you had never known before, it filled you so suddenly with warmth, it caressed your cold flesh and covered your wounds like band-aids. Your SOUL --but...

_It refused._

You gasped, like you were breathing for the first time. Your hands coming around the blades of the trident. What was this? _No._

 _No_. Hungrily, famished, you gulped down air into your lungs.

You refused to die. Not like this.

 _Not yet!_ You weren’t just one, never just anyone. You were Two, you were a protector, you swore an oath to the helpless, you pledged your loyalty until your last breath.

_And this was not your last breath._

Determination flowed through you like lava and your SOUL shone bright. It blazed brilliantly, like the most radiant star in the sky.

_You refused to die._

Not yet. Ally’s smiling face flashed before your eyes. Sans’ words echoed through your ears and your father’s devotion to this cause made you burn like never before. A wail tore from your throat as you threw the trident on the ground, splatters of blood painting the golden flowers. You weren’t just a girl.

You were a hunter.

And this was your mission. You’d finish this, until your heart gave out.

 

* * *

 

 

“The hunter has been defeated and the City purged of the white faced. Today marks the beginning of a new era. An era where we, monsters, will carve our own paths and take what is rightfully ours. They have taken our freedom from us, they have taken our friends, our comrades...our children...and now they want to take our hopes and dreams. Our era has begun! We will not let those miserable humans make us kneel! We kneel to no one, we do not concede, we do not --”

“My king! The barrier --” Alphys shrieked suddenly, but then paused, maw agape, backing off into Undyne as they all watched Asgore’s breath choke.

The king stared at the army of monsters in front of him, eyes widened, breath completely lost. The tips of his own trident protruded from his chest, blood soaking the purple material of his tunic. He brought trembling paws to the blades that had impaled him, as if he couldn’t understand what was happening, what was causing this. Then, his red irises stretched to the sky above, the shimmering of the barrier no longer offering the protection it was meant to.

He fell to one knee, placing a fist to the dirt as his crown clattered to the ground. The huntress behind him yanked the weapon out of his back and threw it to the side as if it burned her. The many eyes of the monsters witnessing Asgore’s defeat stared on, mortified, speechless.

A strong breeze rustled the king’s cape.

The sunrise looked astonishing. Red hues interlaced with poofy white clouds, making it a sight so breathtaking that the white face turned to watch it as well. Her SOUL was that of determination and her eyes spoke of a power beyond comprehension, her wounds a testament to what she had gone through.

Nobody noticed her limp, nobody knew of the numbness spreading over her body like death's grip or how strength slowly left her like a river.

But the air became so clean and fresh. The sun was shining upon them, a strangely serene quiet following the king’s demise. He was not dead, not yet, but he had been struck down.

And there was only one wearing a crown now.

The whirring and buzzing of helicopters suddenly broke the deathly silence that feel over the monsters. The huntress’ hair spilled around her head like a dark halo, the flowers scattering --yet she remained unmoved, eyes fixed on the horizon as the rays caressed the mountain’s side. One last sight to drink in, like the finest wine.

Screams and chaos followed suit. Commotion. The helicopters hovered above, the ladders were thrown and hunters upon hunters descended over the monsters. Bodies flew by, familiar white faces erratically shouted orders and lion heads ran past her.

Sans stood still in the sea of monsters and hunters, watching her with bated breath. He...he didn’t get there in time.

As if she felt his gaze, her head turned and he shuddered when they locked eyes. Half of her face was bloody, broken, cut up, and the lower he went the more he felt his SOUL lurch back at the broken state she was in.

_Her SOUL, it was fading._

Too far away. She was too far away. He needed desperately to hold her, to feel her. She was slipping away, they couldn’t see it, could they? _She was dying!_ He choked on a whine that left him without his notice. It drifted through the commotion, through the bodies being thrown down and dust flying in the air like some twisted celebration.

He couldn’t even --he tried to move, to push himself to her, but he got knocked down by a hunter, his skull hitting the ground and his hands being tied. She smiled dazedly at him and reached a hand out, but then blood spilled from her mouth and her expression scrunched into that of pain, her hand grabbed the cloth at her chest and her knees buckled.

In an instant, she crumpled down into a broken heap. One of the hunters came forth and caught her just before she hit the ground, sliding to their knees with her --One? He was screaming at her, shaking her shoulders, he could hear the muffled sounds.

Sans watched horrified as it unraveled before his eyes and time itself seemed to stand still.

 _His sweetheart._ They were gathering around her, one of the hunters having taken off their mask and shouted orders at the ones surrounding her. They placed something over her mouth, another was pushing on her chest, the first one checking her vitals.

Her eyes were barely opened.

Her brilliant SOUL was becoming duller and duller to the point where he felt his own reaching out, physically hurting at how fast hers was losing its light.

Monsters were captured all around him, slammed to the ground and cuffed, there were struggles and blood curdling screams, yet he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. They quickly took her, strapped her, tied her, loaded her up into one of their helicopters and completely separated him from her when the behemoth took to the sky.

He never screamed like that in his whole life.

There were hands on him, keeping him down, tying him and trying to incapacitate him as he fought back and wailed with the last bits of his energy. A part of him was ripped off, severed.

She was dying. She was dead, wasn’t she?

_“sweetheart…?”_

Everything turned black. What had they done to him?

His beacon, his compass…

….

…….

  
 _Thump. Thump._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback is what i live for, so gimme gimme gimme o Do  
> leave your comments, kudos and bookmarks here if you enjoyed this! ~


	29. say goodbye to my heart tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this the end guys!  
> i really hope you enjoyed this journey together with me  
> and don't worry, this series will be back with a part two soon!  
> there's more i wanna delve into and this sets the scene for the future adventure  
> i want to thank all of you for the kudos, the amazing feedback and all around being patient and supporting me  
> thank you so much and i love you all to bits, my dear readers! 
> 
> song to go with this : Undertale - It's Raining Somewhere Else Instrumental Arrangement

_A feather-like touch and lips soft, fleshy, trailing over the side of his skull, made his bones heat up like nothing could. Breathily giggling, her hair slithered over his ribcage and tickled him, those raven locks of hers like dark velvety tendrils. If he opened his eyes, he knew he’d see frosty ice blues staring back at him with mirth and a wicked glint._

_A SOUL of determination, melding with his, bonding them together for the whole of eternity._

_Or, her eternity, to be precise._

  
The sound of a lock clicking and the creaking of an opening door snapped him out of his daydream.

“You good to go, asshole,”

At the cell door, a shaggy-looking policeman stood with his hand resting on the bar of the cell doorway and the other holding the keys. “Your brother paid for you...again, how about you stop making this a habit huh?” the male asked snarkily. 

Sans remained there, seated on the metal bench, his skull tipped back against the cold brick wall.

“i dunno, ‘m startin’ to grow fond of this place,”

The aggravated look on the officer’s face made it clear that staying wasn’t an option, so the skeleton grunted and hoisted himself up. Another night of drinking that turned violent for the bar patrons on the corner street where they lived. That oughta teach them not to pick a fight with a drunk skeleton. Shady neighborhood, shady people, shady bar, obviously, but it was a nice place to go to and drown yourself in alcohol without being judged...well, you get judged nonetheless because you’re a monster, but you get judged less if you drink --granted, that was not the case last night, or five nights before.

At the counter inside the police station, Papyrus stood tall and seething.

Hadn’t seen him since three days ago, Sans concluded as he tried to go over the events of the past week in his mind.

The walk to the car is silent. Mainly because Papyrus hates the embarrassment of having to yell at him or beat him up in public again, it gets the attention of those humans he hates so much. Never got past that issue.

However, as soon as they are inside, his younger brother grips the steering wheel menacingly, a deathly silence pressing down upon them both. Sans is numb, though, he slumps in his seat and leans his skull on the car window, eye lights dim and lids droopy. The red circles underneath his eyes look worse and worse every day.

“BROTHER, IT HAS BEEN FOUR YEARS OF THIS DEPRAVITY AND I AM GROWING TIRED OF HAVING TO PUT UP WITH THIS ANY LONGER,”

Heh, four years since that fateful day, when their king was struck down by _her_ , when it all fell apart for them. All of monster kind had been imprisoned for the first six months, while they prepared the world for them, legally and mentally, this time, on their terms. King Asgore stood trial and the council operating the Anti-Monster organization locked him up in a special-made cell, just for him.

Another elder from their kin took the reigns then, the old Gerson, who decided that their way had to change for society to accept them and include them. Old turtle was a bit off his rockers, but he was wise and fit into the position like a glove, many of their kind looking up to him for guidance through these trying times. Monsters were released one by one, after they were helped, after they were rehabilitated as per their government’s request. That’s how humans discovered that monsters were a lot like them, mentally, with traits and reactions so similar that the mission became easier, doable.

They could be helped and saved. Surprisingly, Papyrus was one of those that received the necessary help and it actually bettered him. He learned how to overcome his anger, focus it on something else and try to re-establish a relationship with his brother, Sans, understanding that on the surface, it was frowned upon to beat him and insult him publicly and that their bond was unhealthy. And the great and terrible Papyrus was easy to influence because he cared a lot about his reputation and how others saw him as. It was all about his image...and being reminded of how he only had one brother, his only family. His dislike for humans did not dwindle, however, but he'd be damned if he'd let any of them look down upon him. 

They received immunity to any judicious actions that were started, as One promised him, they were released swiftly and free to do as they pleased, within the boundaries of the societal rules, of course.

Sans, he became numb to all that was happening in the political arena. The meetings, the new laws that were put in place, the accommodations and the little groups that supported monsters on the surface, the charities, the TV shows and newspapers. Asgore became a name muttered only in passing as the years went by, just as the skeleton’s SOUL became sour and bitter. At first, he held hope, he obediently stayed imprisoned for that required time, waited, patiently so, with bated breath, to hear from his sweetheart.

He held that spark of hope so close to him, but no news ever came.

On TV he only saw One and the other hunters, no mention of Two, just a headline that said ‘ANTI-monster organization brings down the barrier’ or ‘hunter succeeds in bringing monsters and humans into negotiation phase after ending war’ --it was clichee, but he watched those while holding his breath and praying that they would say her name, that they would let it be known if she died or survived by some miracle. That’s all he wanted, a little string of hope. Nothing else.

One didn’t even come to see him while he was rehabilitated, or while the ambassador for the monsters, Gerson, invited some of the hunters present during the coup, to the banquet that celebrated said event. Nobody whispered her name and nobody acknowledged her merits, there was nothing. As if she didn't even exist, as if her hardships didn't deserve anything.

His SOUL would often reach out and then cower back, because there was no more of that incredible brilliant light to pull him in. He drew his own conclusions and the more time passed, his hopes dwindled and the pain of loss settled in. Denial, then realization and slowly, coming to terms, acceptance.

_She was dead._

But he never stopped imagining her sitting next to him or caressing his shoulder, even having her eyes haunting his nights to no end. He’d see her everywhere in the first year, those rich ebony locks, those frozen blues and her smile, her voice...he could smell her all around him and it almost drove him mad. He’d hunt her down through crowds and realize he’d been stalking some random woman, turn back and get lost.

As for the humans, it took them two years to get used to them, they adapted fast and without issues. Regardless, there were still humans that absolutely hated the thought of them on the surface and there were riots here and there, groups, a lot of discrimination, but nothing that they couldn’t handle. Could you really blame them after what they did? Wars created wounds that took time to heal, not just a few years, possibly decades. It was an injury with which both sides needed to be patient.

Gerson understood this in his old age and experience, he’d seen what the first war did and acted accordingly.

There were also the divided neighborhoods, where humans refused to stay or where monsters were denied renting a certain place, or buying a certain place, no matter if they had the money or offered to pay more. Him and Papyrus cashed in some of their gold and bought an apartment by the periphery, not the best part, but better than nothing. Sometimes the ceiling leaked when it rained and they had to change most of the furniture, but it felt homely now.

Alphys and Undyne were released two years ago, and they also bought an apartment in the same building, it was better to stay close to each other. So that was...nice. It felt nice.

Jobs were hard to come by, the hardest actually, who wanted an evil monster working for them, right?

But they managed with the precious stones and gold. Grillby opened up a casino a year ago, used all his gold for it, so that quickly became a monster hangout place, but humans are welcomed too, just so no suspicious eyes would wander to his business. Needless to say, there are some less than savoury things going on there, behind the counter, but the fire elemental no longer gets his hands dirty with human trafficking or owning prostitutes, he just loans money and cheats patrons, however.

“...’m sorry, boss,” came his reply after the long pause, monotone and weak.

Luckily, the only people that suspected Sans had a role in bringing down their king was Papyrus, Asgore and Alphys. Asgore, he didn’t have to worry about and his brother had yet to voice his thoughts on the matter, something that never happened due to the fact that it was found out how the king killed his own wife.

Alphys was reserved. Many held Toriel in high regard and her demise at the hands of their ruler divided the monster community. It was all hush-hush, but the disgust and grief for their queen was there whenever they would show clips of Asgore during his trial.

“THAT IS NOT VERY SATISFACTORY, YOU IMBECILE!” his brother suddenly roared, snapping his head towards him. There was no reaction from Sans, only silence.

How could he even tell Papyrus how he felt? His burdens were his own and they couldn’t be shared, couldn’t be talked about, he couldn’t just say ‘ _hey boss, so i’m kinda sorta feelin’ like i wanna die cause my soulmate sorta kinda died...y’know, the huntress ya all wan’ed dead…_ ’

He’d probably get...well, not dusted, but definitely a few teeth missing and some cracks.

“ok.”

“THAT IS NOT VERY SATISFACTORY EITHER, SANS!”

“ok.”

“SANS, I WILL PERSONALLY TEAR YOU LIMB FOR LIMB IF THIS CONTINUES ANY FURTHER!”

“ok.”

“UGH!”

The tires screeched and they were off to their shitty apartment.

Living among humans, it was a challenge in itself, mainly because killing them was not an option any more, unless they wanted the hunters on their ass. One would think that since the war was over, the hunters would no longer be needed and effectively disbanded. Unfortunately, they were still needed, not as soldiers but as keepers of justice, executioners of justice and...well, a force that would come down on any monster that turned against humans. They worked closely with the police and got involved only when there were monsters involved.

Like a few months back when some fella started killing humans to devour their SOULs, an avid follower of Asgore’s dogma. The monster was found and dusted in two days...only because they didn’t even send their very best. It was just some hunter that went by Forty-Five. Sans saw them around Grillby’s asking the elemental some questions and then vanishing --next day, there was a pile of dust by the corner bar he visited often.

He didn’t get the chance to talk to the hunter...not like he didn’t know the answer already. When he was released, he tried to get into their headquarters, to find out what happened to Two, but he promptly found out he couldn’t even get to the doors --had to do with the building being impenetrable for monsters. Smart move.

He lingered around there for a few days that turned to weeks, but then his visits became fewer, to the point where he’d pass by there once a month and then once every three months.

Now he didn’t even bother anymore. Why would he?

His eyelights followed the flashing streetlights. It was getting dark already --was it that long since he’d been in that cell? Time slipped by so fast. Then again, he stopped counting or keeping up with how the days went by. Maybe he could hit up that rabbit chick again tonight to keep him some company, she’d do anything for him, said it herself.

If the girl was willing, who was he to not take advantage?

“AS SOON AS WE GET HOME, YOU BETTER CLEAN YOUR DISGUSTING ROOM AND FEED DOOMFANGER. I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, CANNOT BE BOTHERED WITH SUCH MENIAL TASKS.”

But Sans knew this was just his brother’s way of keeping him occupied and away from alcohol and night escapades. “sure, boss…”

There went his plans.

He sighed tiredly and turned in his seat, so his forehead was resting on the cool window. The kids, Ally, he saw her once in the park with an elder female, probably her grandmother. She looked happy, he wanted to greet her, but stopped himself shamefully. Her smile was painful to look at, especially when she was a reminder of _her_.

So much happened since that day and so many things changed.

She’d probably be disappointed with him moping around like this, but for all his tries, he just couldn’t look at this without thinking that he was to blame for her outcome. Maybe if he got there in time, she would have been alive now. Maybe if he had been brave when he was supposed to...maybe if he stood up to Asgore, maybe if he hadn’t been such a coward all the time…

Maybe things would have been different. It’s those ‘what if's’ that tear him up inside the most, knowing that he could have changed things if he...weren't so... _him_.

There’s no RESETS here on the surface, no SAVE, no nothing. He can’t turn back time.

He can’t undo what’s already been done and the consequences, they never felt so...real, so heart-wrecking and unfair.

Only a SOUL of determination can summon such a power. So far, he only saw two in his whole life --Frisk’s and Two’s. There's no telling if it would even work anyway, he's not about to get his lab coat on anytime soon. Self-destruction sounds more like his poison than turning one-eighty and burying his head in work. 

A bottle of mustard sure sounds nice right about now. Absentmindedly, he stuffs his hands into his jacket's pockets, phalanges searching for the mustard packages he shoved in them at that fast food place. He had a habit of doing that wherever he went, taking mustard bottles or packets.    

... finding nothing, he grunts and his grin turns downwards. Must be in the other jacket then...

Huff. Skull clinks on the glass of the window, defeated.

_Thump._

His breath hitches.

_What was that?_

The car rounds a corner. He jerks up in his seat and turns his head this way and that, red pin-pricks searching wildly for…

_Thump._

That. It’s...it’s so weak and so slow.

_Thump._

Papyrus whips his head towards him, frowning darkly “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU --” but he doesn’t get to finish, Sans yanks at the car door handle until it opens and literally jumps out. Papyrus slams his foot on the brake and the car screeches to a halt.

“YOU CRETIN!” he shoves his own door open and climbs out quickly, eye sockets watching the shorter skeleton aimlessly turning around, smack in the middle of the street.

Sans, however, doesn’t see anything else or anyone else, not even the cars stopping abruptly and honking as he twists in every direction. Not even his brother calling out for him or people pausing to stare at the scene he’s causing. Not even the drivers yelling and rolling down their windows to cuss at him.

He just needs to chase that...that string.

“sweetheart?” his voice is choked and he grips at the spiked collar around his neck anxiously, his SOUL reaching out --

_Thump._

Weaker. It was slipping away.

No no no no.

_No._

Wheezing, he jerks this way and that, again and again, he desperately claws at the feeling, at that positively ‘ _her_ ’ sensation that warmed him so suddenly.

But then it’s gone and he stumbles over the sidewalk, trips on his own feet like a fool. His brother marches up to him in several quick strides and yanks him by his hoodie. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, SANS? GET BACK IN THE CAR! YOU ARE EMBARRASSING ME, YOU IMBECILE! TO THINK THAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS NONSENSE...”

The feeling was lost, but as he’s dragged away, unresponsive to his brother’s grumbles and insults, he tries to understand what the meaning of this is.

_Was it her?_

Was it someone else with _her SOUL pattern_?

Or was it _nothing at all_?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave kudos if you liked it and feedback, one last time on this piece!  
> love you all <3


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